Ceremonials
by SnozzBerryFields
Summary: Opening a new shop isn't an easy task, business partner or not. Living in Mystic Falls is harder. And not developing feelings for Damon Salvatore is impossible. R&R Please no Flamers! Damon/OC
1. First Meeting

**You're chapter is here! Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've just been stuck and then this wouldn't get out of my head and I like to expand my fan fiction branches wherever I go.  
>For all of you who are reading my work for the first time, I have a Facebook page. The link is on my page here, just beside the avatar or by clicking 'Homepage'.<br>Enjoy!**

The Grill wasn't that busy at this hour. Most of the teenagers were in school, others were working. So the only few people in there were heavy drinkers, unemployed people, or people who basically had no life and had decided to finally venture out into society.

Damon Salvatore was among them, although to say he was a heavy drinker could be classed as a bittersweet comment. Sitting at the bar with a glass of whiskey was one of the past times that he enjoyed, the time on his own was just a double whammy seeing as Stefan or Elena wouldn't be around pestering him, especially over his drinking habits.

As he looked down at the drink in his hand, he heard someone plopping down on the second stool to his right and the faint sound of a bag being dumped on the counter.

"Bourbon, now" the voice seemed to belong to a woman, a very pissed off woman. Damon couldn't help but raise his head a little to look over at her. The side of her brown hair was clipped back and he could just about make out the eyelinered eyes and tiny, almost doll-like, lips she had. She was looking down at the table, rooting through her handbag.

"Little early to drink isn't it?" he couldn't help but comment over to her.

"Can't say much now, can you?"

Damon decided to let that one slide. He liked her sarcasm for some reason. It wasn't everyday he found a woman that didn't swoon over him. It was refreshing to be around someone different, with the exception of Elena, but she wasn't that much fun. "Rough day?"

"You have no idea"

Damon just looked at the exasperated woman, who had finally found the phone in her bag. The woman froze and looked over at him. She wasn't about to go into detail about her day with a complete stranger, especially when he was sober and bound to remember everything. She broke eye contact with him and looked up and down the counter, "Where the hell is my bourbon?"

"Why haven't I seen you around here before?" the man, who had been lucky enough to order his whiskey earlier, asked. Her accent wasn't American, it was Irish and Damon was one of those people who knew everyone in town if possible. He wasn't sure if he liked knowing that there was someone in the town, which he had helped to found, that he didn't know. He liked having his dirt on people.

"Because I only arrived here last month and have been a recluse, seeing as I was too so busy setting up shop here"

"What kind of shop?"

The stranger woman let out a sigh and looked down at her bag before turning back to him. "And why the sudden interest?"

"Well, it's a small town."

"So? ...I've seen smaller towns than this"

"Okay, you seem to be in a worse mood now, so lets rewind and start this conversation again" Damon suggested, refusing to apologize to this woman and instead scooting over to the stool beside her. Damon wasn't the type of person that would say sorry for anything, he always had a point or a meaning behind everything he did, accident or not.

"I'm Damon, and I'm not a stalker. I'm just a guy at a bar that doesn't like the morning sunlight" he said as he offered his hand.

The woman smirked and let out a breath, before looking down at her bag again and turning back to Damon to shake his hand.

"I'm Cliona"

"Pretty name, not something you hear everyday"

"It's a long story. My parents were big into stories"

"So you opened shop here, how did you come across this town?"

"I'm not cut out for the big city, I wasn't raised in one. I tried it, New York and California; it isn't all it's cracked up to be….at all"

"So you've been in the country a while then" Damon asked, as a bartender put the woman's order in front of her and took the money.

"Yeah, it's really just myself and a friend. We decided we wanted somewhere like the place we came from, maybe just a slight bit bigger. And we ended up here"

"So you opened a shop, no offense but….sounds kinda boring"

"Trust me, boring isn't the word" Cliona replied bitterly, looking at her phone again. "I went to college, I got a degree in Photography and where am I? Running a shop. A shop that the delivery men can't find to save their lives."

"Delivery men make your day horrendous?"

"That's only the tip of the ice-berg"

"I take it that it's important stock."

"It's the stock that we'll have when we open the shop. It was _supposed_ to be this Thursday."

"Who opens a shop on a Thursday?"

"Word of advice, never go into business with a whack job" Cliona said, avoiding Damon's tone.

"Dually noted"

Cliona's phone decided to ring at that very moment in time. She picked up her glass and knocked the whole drink back, amazing the man beside her, before picking up her bag, saying 'bye' and running out of the building, ringing phone in hand.

000

Cliona wasn't seen again until Wednesday night and she didn't come alone either. A tall blonde woman was with her. The blonde was like a supermodel in her black dress and had attracted quiet a few stares. She seemed to be from England, from what Damon could hear.

"A bottle of blue WKD and a glass of red wine, thank you" she had said to the bartender, before turning to Cliona and saying that she was going to the bathroom and left.

"Not on the bourbon tonight I see"

"I'd love some actually, but I have this thing with my friend that that I can't go on any heavy liquor around her, and even if I do, not only does she lecture me, but she also decides to drone on and on about stereotypes. I don't have a pot of gold. I don't have red hair. I don't even say the word 'potato' either"

"Poor you"

"I'm not here to whine. I'm here for a night out, and to celebrate for the future"

"Oh yeah, your shop is tomorrow isn't it. I take it you got your stock then."

"Eventually"

"Well good luck for your future" Damon said, raising his glass to the woman across from him, "So what do you think of our small, humble town by now?"

"Some assholes, you get some everywhere though. Some nice people, woody…..very American"

"Yeah, we're still trying to work on that" Damon replied, sarcastically.

"I like it…I don't care to be honest, I can never stay in one place for ages…Must be why people thought up holidays and vacations"

"Cli. Want to sit over there in the corner? You know I don't like the counter" came a voice, which turned out to be the blonde friend that had gone to the bathroom.

"Sure, you nab a seat and I'll bring over the drinks"

The blonde gave a quick glance at Damon and gave him a sly smirk before walking off to find a seat.

"That the nut job business partner?"

"_Whack_ job." Cliona corrected, slightly taken aback that this stranger had actually remembered everything in the brief few words which they had shared earlier, "Trust me, you don't know her yet, she gets really bad. But I didn't tell you that" Cliona said as she picked up the drinks. She gave a quick wink to Damon, signaling for him not to inform her friend about what he had just been told about her, before going over to the seats in the corner.

"Who was _that_?" the blonde asked her friend in astonishment, as her wine was placed on the table in front of her.

"Just someone I met before"

"That you failed to mention?...I think I'm gonna like my stay here"

"Delia no!"

"What? I'm not allowed have my fun, apparently you already have"

"Cordelia, the world does not revolve around men!"

"You always _did_ say that you liked them tall dark and handsome" Cordelia said, ignoring her friends protests and glancing back at Damon, who was smirking to himself.

"At least let us get settled in first, please!"

"Well" Cordelia said, picking up her glass and holding it close to her chest, almost looking like a snobby British stereotype which she definitely wasn't once you got to know her "Seeing as you said please".

Cliona rolled her eyes and took a swig out of the bottle in front of her.

000

"Welcome, welcome, welcome"

"Where did you put it?"

"Put what darling? ...Welcome, welcome"

"My laptop!"

"I told you- no business tonight. Welcome"

"Why did I ever go into business with you?"

"Because you knew that you'd never get this far. And now look where we are, you should be thanking me"

Cordelia was standing by the door, welcoming people into the shop. Cliona was standing next to her, whispering furiously, as Cordelia let her friend's mood fly over her head. She enjoyed welcoming the people into the shop. She had always been the more sociable of the two, Cliona was the one that went on messages and looked like she was doing nothing, while in actual fact, she managed most of the business and book keeping.

"Go over to the till, I think that someone needs attention"

"But-"

"I'm sure that there are some nice guys here somewhere, might even want to earn a little cash"

"I'm going; I'm going…no need to be such a whore about it"

The blonde merely stuck out her tongue, a reflex that only Cliona could spark off, before turning back to the newcomers at the door.

Tables had been laid out with food and drink and music could be heard faintly behind the chatter amongst the town's people.

This was the open party for Cliona and Cordelia's new shop. They were using it to advertise and to allow people to get a taste of the shop. It was really just a party which was being held in a shop, but some people had decided to start buying already. The pine wooden floors had been polished and waxed; the lights had been toned down, as not to be too over powering.

The space was quiet large actually, shelves that were going to be put in the centre of the room were currently residing in the back rooms of the shop. They would be brought out tomorrow. But people were already looking at the things on the shelves which had been pushed up against the walls. Hopefully the shop would take off, and seeing as some people were already buying, that just may have happened.

Cliona had just taken the money for some girl's eye shadow when a tube of fake blood was dropped onto the counter.

"95c please" Cliona said, not bothering to look up at the customer.

"Seriously? Wow…you guys are sure to take off with prices like that"

_That _had grabbed Cliona's attention and she whipped her head up to meet the blue eyes of the man she had seen at the bar, twice this week.

"You came to the opening?" Cliona asked, taking the dollar she had been handed and getting the change out of the register.

"Have to support the town's economics"

"Seriously?"

"God no. I was curious. You never _did_ tell me what kind of shop you run"

"Curiosity killed the cat you know"

"Ah. But satisfaction brought him back"

Cliona couldn't repress the smile that appeared on her face as she looked up at Damon again and handed him his change, "That's right, and is this satisfactory enough? No hopes or expectations crushed?"

"Honestly, it's not what I expected, but then again, you seem to be a hard enough character to read"

"Well this _is _only the third time that we've met"

"Touché"

"Enjoy your evening"

"I plan on it, might see you around"

"Maybe"

"That went well, or at least, as well as can be expected" Cordelia said, closing the doors and locking them as the last of the night's guests left. Cliona had begun to empty the till and lock the money away in the safe which was kept in the back room.

"Tomorrow should be easy enough then" she called out to her blonde friend, who had begun throwing paper plates and cups into a black bin bag.

Cliona re-entered and began to pull down the blinds and close the shutters on the windows.

"Tomorrow will be a blast. We'll get to know the people of this town and we'll make lots of money and I'll find a good looking guy who-"

"Please, Delia….don't even finish that sentence" Cliona said, but couldn't help giggle. "God you can be so shallow"

"I'll have you know that I can be quiet deep"

Cliona scoffed, "Yeah, as deep as a puddle"

"I take offense to that"

"Well it _was_ my intention"

Once the trash had been collected and left out, the two women looked at each other, waiting for one of them to speak. Unfortunately, it was Cordelia who went first with, "I saw lover boy here today"

"You know, you think that you're funny. When you're actually irritating. Go drink some tea"

"Go have a pint of Guinness"

"I would, only you're here"

"Oh yeah…our little rule"

"Don't even know why we have that stupid rule. It's not like I have a drinking problem"

"You might"

"And you might be paranoid"

"Am not"

"Yes you are, believe it or not"

"Look I'm going, I have to go and see someone about stock"

"At this hour? Where are you really going?"

"Look. Are you going to lock up or what?"

"We'll discuss this in the morning"

"Love you!" Cordelia said, picked up her keys and coat and ran from the room.

"And for some off reason, the feeling is mutual" Cliona muttered to herself, as she began to turn off the lights and went out the back door. The air had a slight chill to it, as she turned around and locked the door. The sky was pitch dark, making Cliona grateful that she had parked the car so close by.

She crossed the road in front of the shop, pulling her long black coat closer to her. She pressed the button on her keys and the lights of the car flashed, indicating that it was open.

Cliona just wanted to go home and pretend that she wasn't in a strange place, and on her own.

000

_You are the hole in my head_

_You are the space in my bed_

_You are the silence in between what I thought_

_And what I said_

The radio played, waking Cliona from her sleep and making her groan sleepily before rolling over and slapping the alarm clock. She lay on her back for a while, just staring at the ceiling as the morning light decided to flood in through the curtains. The orange light reflected on the silver jewellery box which rested on Cliona's dark wooden drawers that had been placed by the door to her bathroom. Box's still took up most of the room; she had yet to find time to unpack.

Today was the first official day of working in the shop.

Today people would come in and look around. Cliona would smile and try to get to know the customers and the residents of the town. Cordelia would tease Cliona and try to convince her to go on the dating scene, which would be rejected swiftly. Today would be normal and happy.

Cliona couldn't help but groan as she pulled herself out of bed and went to shower. She had to admit that one of the things that she liked about this new house was the size of the bathroom. It wasn't small but it wasn't massive either, as amazing as that would have been. Cliona wasn't into extravagance. In fact she pretty much hated it and pitied anyone who had been surrounded by it. She couldn't help but feel as if all of those people were secretly under some sort of pressure, whether it was to be perfect or not, she didn't know. All she knew was that it wasn't her scene. But, by God, did she love her bathroom.

After she showered, she pulled on a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Wasn't to business and wasn't too casual, perfect.

She added a few odd necklaces which she had picked up over the years and then put on a light bit of make up and eyeliner, before going downstairs to grab her keys and jacket and heading out the door, not bothering to check up on Cordelia.

Cordelia lived by a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and Cliona was only more than eager to agree. Cordelia liked to live a fast life when it came to men, whereas Cliona valued her privacy. In ways, they were polar opposites. Cliona had dark hair and dark features with pale skin while her peer had tanned skin and blonde hair with light features. The English woman was out-going and dived in with both feet every time something new happened to her. She liked to talk and she liked to socialise and conform and be like everyone else.

The Irish woman liked to be on her own, she liked being different and she liked to close herself off from most people. Trust was something that people had to earn with her. She was close to Cordelia, maybe even closer than she was with some of her own family members. She had known her since she was twelve years old. They had been through everything together and had witnessed each other on their highs and their falls. They had stuck together through thick and through thin, even through college and arguments with their own families. And now here they were, in a new country with a new life and a new shop that they were going to run. She didn't care if she never met anyone that way that Cordelia liked to imply, Cliona would be content in just living in a big house with tonnes of cats, looking back at past victories and achievements.

In less than half an hour, Cliona was in the shop and turning the sign on the door to 'open' after pulling out the shelves and stacking them.

Of course, especially with it being their first day, no one entered the shop immediately. This meant that Cliona got to sit behind the counter with her feet up and a book in her hands. She tried to concentrate on her book but she kept looking out of the window. Mystic Falls wasn't busy. It was early too and most people were either working or in school, seeing as it was a week day. It reminded her of the time her mother had decided to start a shop and had left Cliona in charge, even then no one decided to grace the shop with their presence. Except her own shop was in the middle of a town, which made her feel a little like the Ghost Whisperer, except it wasn't an antique shop.

Cliona and Cordelia's shop sold a selection of items, but it wasn't a pawn shop. They sold guitars and albums, clothes, make-up, posters, herbs and incense- which was currently burning behind the counter- along with jewellery and other assorted items. It sold occult items but it wasn't necessarily an occult shop. Cliona liked to see it as a home away from home for teens that didn't quiet fit in. She had told Cordelia in advance that if the shop were to become a huge success, she'd somehow get an extension and make an area filled with bean bags and coffee. She liked the idea of the place being a comfort zone when comfort zones were hard to come by. Cliona loved the strange and unusual and she also loved teenagers, mostly because she never forgot what it was like to be one herself, even if it _had_ only been a couple of years ago.

A car passed and Cliona turned back to her book, only to nearly fall off her seat behind the counter after a loud knocking could be heard on the window.

A small plump red haired woman dressed all in pink waved cheerfully through the window before going to the door and walking inside. Cliona didn't recognize her, so she had definitely not been at the party last night.

"Why hello there, I'm Cecile and I'm your new business neighbour. I just wanted to come by and introduce myself and let you know that if you ever want anything, even if you run out of bread at lunch time, that you're to come straight to me" she smiled. She gazed around the place, "My my. And what kind of shop is this?"

"Knick-knacks, the usual" Cliona said, casually.

"Yes, I suppose we are running low on black rubber ducks for key rings" Cecile murmured, obviously displeased at the black rubber which she had picked up from the shelf that had **Duck Off** written on its front in big white letters.

"The kids love them" Cliona pointed out, not leaving her position from behind the counter.

"I see. And you do music too, I see" Cecile said, spotting the acoustic guitars and moving over to them near the other end of the shop, finally making Cliona move and go over to her.

"Do you play yourself darling?"

"A little, I don't really-"

"Oh good. We could always use extra hands for the town choir. A musician is just a bonus", she clapped her hands together in utter joy. "What can you play?"

"I don't any-"

"Oh come dear! What do you like to listen to?"

"Hard rock, grunge-"

The look on Cecile face when it dropped was enough for Cliona to stop talking. In actual fact, she _did_ pick up her guitar sometimes, but she wasn't going to tell this strange woman, especially when she seemed a bit uber-religious.

The shop phone rang at that moment and Cliona spun around and ran to the counter to answer it " Riot Next Door, how may I help you?" she asked into the phone, turning around to glance at Cecile taking in the clothes on the rack by the walls. Cliona could have sworn she saw a sneer on the woman's face when she saw the short tartan skirts and black tank tops.

_Jeez we have colourful clothes too you know. We aren't a bunch of Satanists._ Cliona couldn't help but think.

"Thank God I reached you" Cordelia breathed into the phone, Cliona could practically hear the smile in her voice.

"Well where else would I be? Some of us keep up with our responsibilities you know? You're lucky you didn't promise me that you'd be here with me on _our_ first day or I'd have you dead already by now!" Cliona had to whisper harshly into the phone, her back to Cecile, but still getting an odd look from her anyway.

"Relax hun. I'm sorry okay?"

"What's his name?" Cliona asked simply. There was no curiosity, it actually sounded a little bored and monotonous.

"Ryan" came the reply, Cordelia wasn't going to waste time in beating around the bush with Cliona, she wasn't stupid and she could never lie to her. Firstly, she knew how Cliona felt about lies and how it had affected her past, and, secondly, Cliona knew when she was lying, whether she had the heart to do it to her or not.

"You with him now?"

"Look. I know how this looks. We actually didn't do anything. We just talked and drank some wine. It was so relaxing and so nice. I think that this guy could be the real deal"

"You think that every guy is the real deal" Cliona responded, not bothering to keep her voice down anymore, she didn't care if it seemed professional or not to Cecile, it was her shop and she would do as she pleased.

"Oh quiet you. None of us could drive because we were after drinking"

"So? Get a taxi"

"Well, that never occurred to us, sorry Miss-I-Have-All-The-Answers."

"Hey!"

"I crashed at his place, and _no_ we did not sleep in the same bed. Although I wouldn't have complained if-"

"Bye" Cliona hung up before she could hear anymore. She had a customer to deal with...or as close as she would probably ever come to one today.

Cecile turned around and looked over to the brown haired woman by the counter, "Friend?"

"Something like that, calling in sick"

"Well" Cecile said her sweet act so fake that it made Cliona stuck between slapping her and getting a puke bucket. If she stood this woman for a second longer, she was sure that her teeth would turn black and all fall out. "I hope that everything is okay. If you need anything, remember I'm only next door." And with that she was gone.

Cliona thought to herself that if she was ever going to direct a production of True Blood and was forced to cast town members, this woman would be the next Maxine Fortenberry, except the actual character was blonde and had a thing for chilli, which she highly doubted Cecile did.

Cliona shook her head and returned to her position behind the counter. She had just picked up her book, planning on sitting down and resuming her reading, but was interrupted when a teenage boy walked in.

"Hey" he said a little shyly, his hands in the pockets of his black hoody.

"Want to have a look around or would you like something in particular?"

"Um" Cliona could tell that he was so nervous that he was thinking of leaving, by the way that he was edging near the door.

"No wait." Cliona wasn't going to let this customer go without a fight. She could at least do with the company. God only knew she needed some proper company after Cecile. She needed to know that there were some people that she could get along with somewhere in this god forsaken town.

"You like...band tees? Music? Video games?"

"Yeah" the boy replied quietly.

"Well I'm sure that there is something here that you'd like, and seeing as you're our first customer, you get a discount" Cliona said, not even thinking. If Cordelia were here she would have blown a gasket, but she wasn't here and Cliona considered it as payback for last night. She may have told her to go last night when they were locking up, but she had expected her to come back...and then she had said that she was going to see someone about stock. Had Cordelia lied to her? Cliona only realised this now. Well godamnit, she may as well give the kid in the shop something for free now.

"Hm...Let's see. I think I'll class you as a bit of a...Nirvana fan?"

"Sure, how did-"

"You have a badge on your schoolbag"

"Schoolbag?"

"Backpack or whatever you say over here"

"Cool"

"Well, this one looks like it should fit" Cliona said, pulling out a medium sized grey Nirvana shirt and handing it to the new kid.

"Wait, you said that I got a discount, how much of a discount?"

"50%...$2.50 please"

"Seriously?"

"Well...yeah"

"Wow, man you guys are cheap" the boy said to Cliona, who was now behind the counter again. The kid fished through his wallet and handed Cliona the correct amount of money, forgetting all about his shyness. _And that's how we do it _Cliona couldn't help but think smugly to herself.

"So...ditching school?" she asked casually, leaning on the counter, her chin resting on the palm of her hand.

"...I'm still learning even though I may not be in school right now"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah"

"Like what?"

"Like how they say 'schoolbag' in Ireland...goes well into my cultural studies"

Cliona laughed. She had to admit that she liked the kid, he had some spunk, that little glint of sarcasm that Cliona had in herself.

"Glad to know I'm funny"

"I'm sorry, I just need the laugh. I had someone in here before you and... Let's just say that they are those people that you'd just love to hit but you can't because you can't make enemies on your first day"

"Yeah...it sucks...at least give it a week"

Cliona let out a bark of laughter, "You're right"

"Usually am"

Cliona looked at the kid again; she honestly couldn't believe that she was bonding with a teen dosser. She liked him though, he wasn't an asshole. "What's your name kiddo?"

"Kyle"

"Well then Kyle, it seems that we are in agreement with each other. I'm Cliona" the shop owner said, out-stretching her hand, which was taken and shaken.

"Cool name. Is it like...Irish?"

"Duh. No shit Sherlock"

Kyle smirked and looked down at the floor, his new purchase in his bag-pack and his hands in his pockets. "What does it mean?"

"What?"

"Your name"

"I have no idea"

"How do you not know? You're Irish, so don't you speak Irish?"

"You'd be surprised at the amount of us that don't"

"So you can't speak it then"

"I can...I'm just...My vocabulary is slowly diminishing"

"Well...say something Irish"

"Maybe some other time" Cliona smirked over to him.

"So, do I know this person? That you wanted to hit?" Kyle asked, obviously not wanting to go into an uncomfortable silence.

"Maxine Fortenberry" Cliona muttered to herself.

"What?" Kyle said. Cliona liked how he didn't use manners and say 'excuse me' or 'pardon'. He was a kid and he was taking full advantage of it.

"That Cecile one, from next door", Cliona replied, pointing her thumb in the direction behind her.  
>"Oh, my dad hates her"<p>

"What about your mother?"

"Dead...when I was small. I don't remember a lot"

"Oh. I'm sorry, but I bet you're sick of hearing that huh?"

"Yeah"

"I know the feeling"

"You lost a parent?"

"No...It's complicated"

Now it was Cliona's turn to prevent a silence, so she continued on with the original conversation topic. "So what do you know about her?"

"Church every Sunday. Likes pastel colours. Hates kids like me. Hates people that wear pure black, with the exception of hairdressers. The woman is a walking cliché"

"Hates kids like you. Why? Cos you like black hoodies and smoke pot?"

Kyle's eyes widened in shock. "How did you-"

"You didn't honestly think that I only figured out your music tastes from your bag did you?"

Kyle was speechless, he was like a fish in water, the way that his mouth opened and closed.

Cliona reached beneath the counter and pulled out a bag of chips and handed them to Kyle, "Help yourself"

Kyle didn't know what to say, so he sat on the window sill and began to pick away at the bag, until eventually he couldn't take it any longer. "So what, you're not gonna kick me out?"

"God no. You're cool kiddo. You don't give a shit and you live in the present. And not to mention you have a decent taste in music, which is incredibly rare" Cliona said, coming to stand by Kyle and leaning back on the counter with her arms crossed.

"You think I'm cool?"

"Dude, if I were a teenager again, I'd totally date you"

Kyle smirked and looked down at the bag in embarrassment. "And as for the pot, I don't care. Being a teenager is a time for you to experiment! Have fun. Make mistakes. We've all done it at some point. Smoke a cigarette or a joint. Drink some beer, get drunk! Crash a party"

Cordelia would definitely have put a stop to her now, if she were here. And that was only if she hadn't already done so when she had noticed that the kid was a pot smoker. Thinking of Cordelia made Cliona smile as she said the next bit.

"Oh and by the way. You can smoke pot out back, just don't leave any around or use the premises as a drug trading area. I wouldn't want to sack my newest employee"

And with that, she yanked the bag of chips away.

**And there you have it folks! The first chapter. Sorry for it lacking in awesomeness. I'm a backwards person. I have Damon in it first and THEN I introduce the new character. Also I have a thing for 'C' names with this story.**

**Review! And please no flamers!**

**Skitz**

**;)**


	2. Second Meeting

**This chapter shall have a glimpse of Elena and a slight reference to Katherine but other than that, you still get Damon. I wrote this in like two or three days, I'm so proud….don't expect another update for a week or so now because I plan on turning my attention to some of my other fics.**

**Enjoy!**

Kyle worked in Riot Next Door after school. He didn't have a lot of hours but he didn't care because he had a place to smoke without being judged and he also had a discount on store items. Usually he would have stolen them but now he bought them. He liked his new bosses. Or at least, he liked Cliona.

Cordelia had hit the roof, just as Cliona had predicted.

At first she had tried to shout at Cliona but as tough as Cordelia acted, she could never give a kid bad news and the new kid had actually been behaving quiet well. He had stacked shelves without complaint, swept floors, handled everything except money. So that had been the new rule. The kid could stay, as long as he stayed away from the till.

Kyle had won her over by day three, when a guy had called the shop phone and he had answered it on loud speaker (another of the rules). The man had called because he was looking for Cordelia, who had flailed her arms around, bringing her finger across her neck with wide eyes, signalling for Kyle to say she wasn't there. Cliona still had yet to ask why she had done this.

Anyway, Kyle had said, "Sorry I don't know any Cordelia's around here. I know a Cornelia but no Cor_delia's_. I'm really sorry. If she comes in here, I'll make sure to make her call okay? Would you like to leave your number?"

Kyle had lied so perfectly to the guy on the phone that Cordelia couldn't help but demand that the kid stayed with them in the shop from now on. Cliona couldn't help but smile smugly. She _had_ been the one to hire Kyle after all.

By the next week, not only had Kyle fitted in perfectly, but customers had also begun to become more and more frequent. One girl with black hair that went just past her shoulders came in daily, like clockwork. Another stoner kid, one of Kyle's friends liked to come in to look around and bought something every time. There was also another guy with short blonde spiked hair that always wondered near the semi-permanent dye shelf and posters.

The girl was apparently called Lucy. Kyle said that she lived close by and that she was in his grade. When Cliona and Cordelia had pressed him for more information he had shut his mouth after clamming up.  
>The stoner kid was called Chim. Cliona asked Kyle how he had landed a name like that and apparently it was because he smoked so much pot that he sometimes looked like a chimney.<br>The blonde guy was apparently called Red, even though the two new women had yet to see him wear any red clothes. His hair was blonde, so that confused them even more. Kyle still hadn't told them anything about him, mostly because Red usually came in while Kyle wasn't working or was on a lunch break and Cliona kept forgetting to bring it up.

Today was Wednesday, which meant that it was a half day and that the shop would be closing up early, so Cliona decided to go out for a drink and try to mingle with some of the locals. Cordelia would approve, mostly because she was usually trying to push Cliona out into the open to socialize, seeing as Cliona wasn't a natural mingler. She preferred staying indoors and watching TV or reading, rather than talking to people.

'How do you expect to meet anyone new that you could trust unless you put yourself out there? Seriously, it's a miracle that we even met' Cordelia had once said with a flick of her long blonde hair.

Cliona rolled her eyes at the memory as she walked into the Grill and took in the place. The place was a bit more lively today but still not as busy. Tourists seemed to be taking up the booths this morning. Some were talking in their own language, others were taking pictures.

Cliona looked over to the bar and saw the same tall dark acquaintance that she kept seeing here.

"Seriously, do you ever stop drinking?" she said sarcastically as she hoisted herself onto the stool next to him and put her bag on the countertop.

Damon looked over to the brunette and gave her a cocky smirk, "You sure you want me to answer that?"

"Are you trying to scare me away? Secret alcohol issues? Because if you are, you're failing…miserably"

She smiled as she dug around in her bag, when she heard Damon let out a low chuckle.

"Its just amazing how you always come in here when I am….I go to other places"

"I bet you drink there"

"There was no alcohol in your shop, smart ass"

"Hey, take that up with my business partner, not me" Cliona raised her hands in defense.

"Oh right, the nut job" Damon said, in a fake sweet voice, before taking a sip of his scotch.

"That'd be the one"

"So business is going well I take it. Well…you haven't necessarily boarded up and moved on yet"

"Yes you eejit. Why? You want me gone already? Please, this is only our third meeting and I can't help but become interested now" Cliona replied, sarcasm still thick in her voice.

"Eejit? Is that even a word?"

"Oh shut up"

"And here I was, thinking that you were interested"

Cliona fought the immature urge to stick her tongue out at Damon and instead tried to order her drink and pay for it, only for the barman to ignore her, so she turned around to face Damon instead.

"Shouldn't you be in work now?"

"Half day"

"I heard this rumor, that if you don't open your shop you don't receive this thing called money. Very interesting stuff"

"I also heard that saying about 'all work and no play' growing up. I'm merely following my own morals"

"It's a moral of yours to ditch work for a day and drink?"

"Damn straight"

"Well in that case, hey!" the barman looked over to Damon and walked over, "Get the lady a scotch and I'll have the same again" Damon handed the man a paper bill and turned back to Cliona.

"I might just agree with your morals." He smirked at her.

"Well, some people destroy themselves from working so much. It can get scary. Especially when the person gets _really_ obsessed."

"Sometimes they'd get a case of the Freudian Slip because they'd be so obsessed with work that they might call you by an office workers name or a person that they are trying to work for or help."

"That's right. Never classed you as-"

"I went to college once, I'm not stupid" Damon retorted, before Cliona could finish her sentence, downing the rest of his glass as the bartender came along with two new glasses.

"Psychology major?"

"Actually I dropped. Got boring and stressful and I just wanted to have fun"

"Ever think about going back?"

"Hell no" Damon said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Rather stay at the Grill and drink? I get it"

"Nice to know someone does"

"Your family were pissed?"

"You could say that"

"Ah, mine weren't so crazy about me leaving the country. I went and did it anyway"

"Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. So how did you know what I was on about anyway? You do Psychology?"

"I was signed up to some smart school that I didn't go to in the end, but they kept sending me offers about online courses. So when I was sixteen, I decided to do an eight month course in psychology. Freud just happened to be on my first assignment."

"Smart school, huh?"

"What? The culchie accent decreases my IQ?"

"No, just didn't see that one coming is all. I expected you to be the brains of your shop anyway. Blondes never seemed reliable to me when it came to book keeping"

"I may manage the books, but Cordelia is very good at bringing in customers by advertising"

Damon snorted, "Yeah by standing around talking and gossiping all day"

"I admit that she can be gossipy but, you don't know her. I've known her longer."

"And I'm the closest to the two of us when it comes to Psychology degrees"

"I got a certificate" Cliona snapped.

"You know, I won't say sorry"

"Neither will I"

"Fine"

"Fine"

They sat in silence like that for a while, just sipping their drinks and looking around the place. The tourists left, chattering all the while as they passed the two at the bar. One woman, she seemed Asian, walked up to them on the way out and turned to the two of them.

"Can I have picture please. Nice American couple. Dating yes?" she asked in broken English, a smile on her face, probably at the fact she was proud at constructing a sentence in English or the fact that she understood American dating.

"Oh we're not….I mean….We"

"You afraid of a camera?" Damon teased, that smirk on his face again.

"Are you just vain enough to jump for joy every time someone wants to take your picture?"

"Oh don't be such a spoil sport" Damon was obviously enjoying Cliona's uncomfortableness. So he threw his arm around her and smiled for the woman, just to watch Cliona squirm. Cliona didn't know what else to do as the woman switched on the small silver digital camera, so she smiled before the flash went off.

"Thank you. Very much" and with that the woman was gone.

"I don't like my picture being taken" Cliona said, shrugging Damon's arm off of her.

"Why? Aren't you like Photographer Extraordinaire?" Damon asked sarcastically.

"No. I may have a degree in Photography but that doesn't mean I like being photographed. I have to be dolled up or take the picture myself. Those are the only exceptions; apart from that I prefer to be behind the camera myself"

"So you can take pictures of other people?"

"I take pictures of landscape too"

"What kind?"

"Any kind. Snow, autumn, the sea, woods, piers and docks, special occasions, lights, the sky."

"Why didn't you ever open a photography shop? Why bother opening the one that you have now with the Nut Job?"

"Because not everyone likes photos. Digital is in now and everyone has their own cameras. Besides, I promised that I'd leave with Cordelia and come to America since I was, like, twelve. And I prefer having a business partner in case I wind up going out of business. Probably the only lesson that Business classes ever taught me in school; if I fall, I should drag someone down with me."

"What a lovely lesson. I should start flicking threw your book for any leaves" Damon said, raising his glass as if to toast Cliona before taking a swig.

"Yeah well. Cordelia would only open a shop that she fully understood and we both agreed on the shop that we have now"

"Is there even a name for that type of shop? It's not exactly a junk one, or a pawn one."

Cliona rolled her eyes as if to say _oh you silly thing_, and said, "It's an Alternative Shop", instead.

"And that means?"

"That any kids who like dark stuff or unusual stuff can go to our shop for it"

"Dark stuff. Like witch books?"

Cliona laughed, "Well, if they want, we can order them in. We mostly do incense and herbs for that front. But we do clothes and music and posters too. We might even expand in the future, if things really pick up"

"Hm"

"So, who are you?"

"What?" that had brought Damon up short. He put down his glass and leant his arm against the counter.

"Well, all I got so far was your name. So far you know where I'm from, the –air quote- Nut Job- air quote-, the shop, the future shop plans and my photography history. And this is our third meeting"

"Well isn't it polite to let the lady speak?" Damon asked, obviously not taking anything seriously, as he picked his glass back up and held it in front of her, his elbow leaning on the counter now.

Cliona let out a burst of laughter and Damon looked over, "Me…..a lady…you _are_ funny"

Damon put his glass back down. This woman was different to all the others in Mystic Falls, probably because she wasn't from the area. It was only fair if he told her some little details, he _had_ let Caroline in on facts when they had first met, whether she had been his chew toy or not.

And if anything happened, he could always compel her to forget.

"Okay. What do you want to know?"

000

Two hours later and the pair were still talking. It had gotten darker outside and the teenagers had finally left school and were currently hanging around talking with a few drinks or playing by the pool table.

"Yeah but that book just got depressing"

"I didn't see anything wrong with it"

"She was a selfish whore who lacked an IQ"

"What ever you say"

"Oh don't give me that look" Cliona said, waving her arm away, as if it would wipe away Damon's fake smile.

"The one you're pulling now. You were the one who brought up the topic of books anyway"

"Yeah well, you brought up some terrible books"

"Firstly, I was going through ones I had to cover in school, years ago and, secondly, you were just trying to defend the last one! You choose one"

"Fine" Damon said, hoping to a have a bit of fun with the new woman and deciding on something that she probably hadn't read, by the looks of her. "Anne Rice"

"First movie adaption was good. They screwed up the second one, that was mostly book two with a loose bit of book three in it…and its title, of course"

Shocked, Damon looked over to Cliona and asked, "You read Anne Rice books?"

Cliona merely shrugged before taking a sip of her vodka, she had gone off the scotch after her third glass, and replying, "Is it a crime?"

"Well I have to admit. You are full of surprises. You just don't look like the type"

Cliona laughed, "Type?"

"Yeah, a type"

"Well I hate to burst your bubble, actually scratch that I love it, but erh… you don't look like you love facial piercings and black lipstick or cloaks or heavy metal or anything of the sort"

"You don't have to fit into certain stereotypes just to read a book"

"And for the first time in two hours, we agree on something" Cliona couldn't help but say with a slight hint of sarcasm, and clapped her hands.

She would have said more, only her phone rang and she answered it. "Yeah…well we agreed on it…what?... who else is there?...I'm not stupid…did you talk to her?...you'll have to do it sooner or later….yeah I don't care as long as you don't bring the party home…bye"

"Drama drama drama…."

"Shut up. I just don't want strangers in my house. Cordelia can only bring a guy home if she knows him for at least a month, that's the rule"

"Then why am I under the impression that that rule doesn't apply to you?"

"Because I'm amazing…no not really, I just don't go out a lot. But I have a new life now and I have to go out more often. Well that and the fact that I'm responsible and would have to know a guy really well myself beforehand. Cordelia could have a new guy every night and forget his name easily"

"So is she a Nut Job or a Skank?"

"Not a Skank just…likes her parties"

"I still wonder how you two are friends, I mean, how did you even meet her? You're too different"

"We met Halloween night. We were twelve and we began trading sweets, then a song came on the TV and I said I loved it and she did too so we got talking. Our parents didn't like us hanging out, which made us do it more and when my family… stuff happened, she was there for me. She always has" Cliona said, all sarcasm gone and replaced with complete sincerity in her voice now. It was obvious that as different as they were, they were close knit.

Damon wouldn't admit it but even though he and Stefan never quiet saw eye to eye, he had to protect him because he was his brother. And at the end of the day, fighting or not, they were all that they had left in this world.

"Look um…I have to go, but I enjoyed our little chat so here is my number" Cliona said, writing out her number on a sticky note, "Feel free to call anytime, I don't sleep much anyway." She added, handing him the note.

"Bye" she said and walked out, leaving a gawking Damon watch her as she left.

000

Three days, three days and no word. Cliona didn't think that she fancied the guy but she enjoyed talking to him. She had always loved a guys company, and she couldn't depend on Kyle all the time.

It was Saturday and the shop was going to close at 5:30pm. Kyle had turned up at twelve O' clock and had started the day by making Cliona her coffee and sitting down on the window sill, talking to her as she did some computer work and drank her beverage.

The chimes over the door tingled as the door was opened and Lucy walked in. Kyle sat bolt upright as soon as he saw her. Cliona didn't let that go unnoticed. Kyle's eyes didn't leave the raven haired girl once.

"Hi. I was wondering if you've got any lavender, thyme or sage."

"Sure, I think we've got all three" Cliona responded, moving from behind the counter to go to the shelf where the herbs were kept.

"Doing some cooking I see. I like your choice" Cliona chattered, moving behind the shelf and looking for the herbs. Lucy looked around and locked eyes with Kyle again who waved shyly and couldn't help but look away. Lucy mouthed a 'hi' to him before turning back to the Irish woman by the shelf.

"Lavender is a calming herb and Sage is said, according to myth, to cleanse an area and prevent any evil from touching the place" Cliona was still chattering, making Lucy avert her eyes again, for some reason. Cliona picked up all three herbs, which were tied together individually by a thin rope, and went to stand behind the counter, pushing buttons on the till. The scent of the herbs filled her nostrils and calmed her. Kyle had actually mentioned before, how the shop always had an 'amazing witchy smell'.

"That'll be $7.50 please"

Lucy handed the brunette a ten dollar bill and waited for her change. She seemed a little nervous and uncomfortable. Cliona picked up on this and tried to lighten the mood by becoming her worst nightmare, an adult that asked about school.

"So how is school going?" she asked, as the register opened up and she put in the money.

"Okay?"

"Dragged down by homework yet? I remember this one guy in my school used to give us tonnes and then forget all about it or not turn up" Lucy smiled at this and looked down at the ground before looking back up at Cliona and saying, "Not yet, but soon"

"Exams eh? Kyle's doing them too aren't you?" Cliona asked, turning to Kyle, purposefully trying to include him, as she pulled out the change and picked up a small brown paper bag to put the herbs into.

"Yeah" Kyle responded, only for Cliona to give him the evil eye so he would keep talking, "The new History teacher is cool though"

"Yeah, he's cool. We're both in his class. 3rd Period, right?" Lucy responded to him, pointing her finger with a smile on her face, temporarily forgetting all about her shyness. Cliona couldn't help but smile herself, proud that she had gotten the two teens talking. Perhaps this could happen every time she came to visit the shop. Maybe, thought Cliona, as she handed Lucy her bag. It was amazing how Cliona wasn't a sociable person, yet could easily get people to talk. It had always been this way, she had once had a friend who suffered from terrible insomnia, but every time she slept over, it would be the only night that they ever got a goodnight's sleep. If someone was depressed she was always the only person who could make that person laugh.

As Lucy took the bag her hand brushed against Cliona's and she jerked and froze, completely zoning out, with one hand on the bag while Cliona was holding the other end. It had ended as soon as it began. "Sorry...I…I need to go".

And with that she ran out of the shop.

"What was that about?" Kyle asked, looking threw the window to get a good look at Lucy as she crossed the road.

"Don't know, Lover Boy."

"Huh?"

"Oh come on, you obviously have the hots for her. And don't give me that 'nervous around girls in general' crap. You fancy her. And I think that she sorta likes you too"

"Thanks for the advice, Hitch" Kyle snorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the window as he kept his eyes trained on the people outside.

"I'm serious, she was really nervous, didn't you see her? And she only smiled once you talked to her. Even a guy with half a brain could figure that out"

Kyle didn't say anything.

"When did you find out?"

"Find out what?

"That you liked her"

"Last year, she helped me into the hall when my hands were full. She was just nice about it. Then I kept seeing her around"

"You want to go for a break? I'll put up the lunch sign." Cliona said, deciding she didn't want to hear anymore. Kyle hadn't even agreed, but Cliona had already flipped the sign and locked the door, so Kyle took it as time to leave and went out back to smoke.

He didn't know how to feel now. He felt his heart race and a funny feeling in his stomach, along with goose-bumps and an adrenaline rush but…  
><em>Never mind.<em>

He had only taken his first drag when Cliona walked out and yanked it off of him, only to take a pull, of whatever plant had been rolled up, for herself. "Sharing is caring and I need it"

"Bad news?"

"Phone call…of the worst kind."

"What happened?"

"Nothing…lets just hope that you don't get pulled into it?"

"Cops?" Kyle blurted without even thinking, paranoia kicking in.

"Worse, the past"

000

Damon still hadn't called. And Cliona wasn't going to bother contacting him. She had gotten his number in the Phonebook and had saved it to her phone, but hadn't made any thought as to calling him. She refused to chase after a guy. She found it pathetic and guys like that only played hard to get and then toyed with the women before completely breaking their heart. No way, she wasn't a fool. She knew all about this sort of thing. If a guy liked her, or genuinely wanted to spend time with her, then he would make the first move. She knew that it seemed stubborn but to her, it seemed smart, and maybe even responsible.

She wasn't going to call him and that was that, even if he _had_ crossed her mind more than once today. She found the guy interesting, and she was her first adult friend, if she could even call him that, which she had made since she arrived in Mystic Falls. It wasn't her fault.

So that was final.

There would be no calling Damon Salvatore.

000

Damon had a feeling that Cliona had gotten his number. It was a small town after all. He didn't want to ring her. He didn't mind seeing her again but ringing always meant that he was making the first move of something. And she wasn't the kind of girl who would understand his lifestyle choices. Even is she _did_ drink.

_She does read those Anne Rice books too. You didn't expect that either_

_Yeah, but there's a difference about reading about vampires and-_

He wouldn't think about it anymore. He just didn't want to call her. She probably expected him to chase her, that's why she had given him her number. Well he wasn't going to do it. No one was going to make a fool out of him and that was it. He had been there with Katherine. He'd chased her down and where had that gotten him?

Just because she was one of those rare people that he could actually pay attention to, didn't mean he liked her and was going to do anything.

There would be no calling Cliona Murphy.

000

Cordelia was in work with Cliona that Sunday. Sundays were only from 9am to 12pm. Cordelia was behind the counter today, as Cliona stacked, seeing as Kyle didn't work on Sundays, but Cordelia was here so it was okay. Two people were in the shop at all times. Cordelia liked to walk out but she always worked Mondays, Tuesdays and assisted Cliona on Sundays. Cliona usually worked Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and Saturdays. She never complained about too much work because she enjoyed it, so she didn't care if Cordelia wandered off, she only cared about her telling the truth about where she went.

The bell jingled for the second time that day, the first being Lucy.

"Oh thank goodness you're here. You must be Miss. Graham. I'm Cecile. I work next door?" came the cheery voice.

_Oh no. It's Maxine._  
>Cliona didn't dare to peek through the shelf. She didn't want to see this woman at all.<p>

"I just wanted to tell you and Miss Cliona that there will be a party in the Lockwood Mansion. It's this Tuesday. It's a bit of an annual town celebration and seeing as you're new here, you might not know. And you are part of the town now so I just thought to give you an open invitation. Everyone will be there. It would even be a great place to advertise you're…shop"

Cliona wrinkled her nose from behind the shelf. She could only imagine the look that Cecile had pulled when she had said that. She also knew that Cordelia wasn't a person to be taken lightly. She could easily play someone at their own game.

"Thank you Cecile. And may I say, that is a lovely top you are wearing. It's so… vintage" the way Cordelia had responded snootily, yet sickly sweet, had Cliona trying to stifle her laughter from behind the shelf.

"Well. That's it. Hope to see you there"

Cliona didn't move until she heard the shop door open and close, the bells jingling.

"What a bitch" Cordelia remarked, as Cliona came out behind the shelf. "I thought you were just being paranoid but…ugh"

"I know"

"So"

"So…what?"

"Party"

"I don't know"

"Oh come on, it's in a mansion. And these people seem to like your sense of style"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Lover boy might be there"

"What did I tell you about that?"

"Okay okay, no need to lose the plot with me over it. I-"

The door jingled and both women turned around to face the door. An olive skinned brunette walked in, flanked by a tanned girl with black hair and another girl, who was blonde and seemed to be scared of the contents of the shop. They wandered over to the herbs section, so Cliona went to stand behind the counter with Cordelia, who was fiddling with her black scarf.

"The herbs seem to be selling out fast, whatever it is about these townies and their plants? I mean, Kyle could easily make an excellent botanist and…Oh for Gods sake, quit it. I don't even know why you're wearing a scarf today anyway. It's not even cold. Weird people and their fashions" Cliona said.

The three new customers walked up to the counter, the tanned girl put a handful of different herbs on the counter.

Cordelia ignored Cliona and instead started taking the prices and selling the stuff.

"But it's creepy. Why am I even here?" the blonde was whining to the brunette.

"Because it's the only way that we can find…her. And we need to"

"Not to me. She's mean Elena! Think about everything's she's done to you. And to Stefan! We don't need her here"

"What if we need information on something?"

"That's what we got Rick for!"

"Caroline", the girl called Elena said in a voice that sounded reprimanding.

"Thanks" the girl paying for the herbs said, before walking off with the other two trailing after her.

"Well that was certainly weird-ish" Cliona said.

"Don't you dare try to avoid the real subject here"

"And what would that be?" Cliona asked, innocently as she moved from behind the counter, to the front and leaned on it, her elbow resting on the countertop with her head resting on her hand.

"You" Cordelia smiled, "Are trying to avoid running into that guy"

"We just talk!"

"I just talked to my guy and you instantly jumped to conclusions"

"That's different!"

"Why?"

"Because you-….slept in his house"

"That's not what you were going to say"

"What do you want me to say?"

"Oh I don't know, the truth?"

"Oh that's rich!"

"Is it? Because I'm in trouble if I'm not honest with you yet you can keep anything from me!"

"You lie too! Delivery guy remember?"

"And we're back to that again!"Cordelia shouted, throwing her arms in the air.

"Yes we are! It was our first day together and you didn't show up!"

"You already got back at me for that, you hired Kyle"

"You love Kyle! If I got you back for something, you'd still hate it!"

"You know what? I don't need this. I'm leaving!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And with that the door slammed shut.

Cliona _had_ told her to drop it.

**Yes she did. Yet Delia just kept at it and Cliona is someone who can hold a grudge so you better say sorry soon!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter  
>Thanks to my only review last chapter! It was much appreciated!<strong>

**Review! Please…and you might get a taster of the next chapter ;)**

**Skitz xxx**


	3. Never Let Me Go

**So I was more than a week, so sue me. Okay so you got some Stefan here. Also more Damon and things are beginning to kick off. The plot is finally thickening! I swear the characters are running away with themselves. Read, Enjoy and Review!**

Tuesday morning had arrived and Cordelia was still not talking to Cliona, who refused to back down. She didn't see a reason to. Cliona had told Cordelia not to take the piss out of her or the guy at the bar, but had she listened? No.

And said 'guy at the bar' hadn't called either. This was another thing which she refused not to back down on. She enjoyed talking to him and she liked his sarcasm, but she wasn't going to call him. If he wanted to talk to her, he would press the button on his phone. She wasn't going to chase anyone down. And even if he decided to have nothing to do with her, she'd probably meet someone at this party tonight anyway.

The party at the mansion had begun to fill with people at around five. The sun was still out and people were definitely dressed to impress. Cliona had just gone with a plain black dress, not wanting to bother with any debate over different colours. She rather keep it smart and simple, black kept it sleek and sexy with no trouble whatsoever. And everything matched it.

She knew that she'd probably see Cordelia at the party. She had already planned on how she'd ignore her too, part of the plan being to start getting to know the town's people and getting lost in a crowd, unless there was a bar where she could get drunk, then she'd get drunk.

She had driven her navy blue car to the Lockwood mansion and had parked it with the rest, forcing her to walk up the drive way and getting stuck in the line of town members. She was currently standing on the steps to the entrance, stuck between a group of teenage girls behind her and an elderly couple in front of her. She noticed the three girls standing near each other further back, the girl known as Elena had her arm linked with a guy in a suit. The girl that had bought the herbs and the blonde girl that had been freaked out by the shop seemed to be whispering hurriedly. Cliona was about to look away when she saw a newcomer joining the group. Her heart stopped in her chest when she recognized that it was the man she had been thinking about every time she saw her phone. Damon.

It was odd to see him in a suit but she thought it definitely suited him. Like her, he was wearing black which made her momentarily wonder if he wore any other colour. Every time she had seen him at the bar, he'd been in black too, now that she thought about it.

She turned around, just in case he looked up and spotted her gawking at him. She didn't want to come off as a stalker and she most definitely didn't want to come off as desperate since she gave him her number. Maybe she shouldn't have done it, or maybe, she thought to herself, you're just over thinking everything. She wasn't going to let her head get wrecked, she was going to get lost in the throngs of people and meet some new human beings, who she might find some common ground with, some may even be useful connections for her shop. But that was still only going to happen if there wasn't a bar, and seeing as the party was being held in a mansion as big as this, she wouldn't be surprised if its wealthy owners had a secret hockey arena in the basement.

She looked around her, taking in the other women's dresses and admiring shoes, a little thing she did when she was nervous. She never really met any mayors on a daily basis, she had grown up in a town like this, only smaller, but this place seemed very close knit. She was scared of the impression she'd make, and this was what was causing her to look around at the fashions instead of calming down and sighing in impatience like everyone else. She was so immersed in this fear that she didn't notice anyone coming up behind her.

"Well fancy seeing you here" came a confident voice from behind her. Cliona spun around to see Damon with a smirk on his face, looking down at her.

"Everyone was invited" she replied, trying to act as if she knew everything that he did.

"I heard, I just never classed you as the type for this kind of thing"

"And once again, it seems that you have misjudged me" Cliona replied, getting a little cocky herself. She knew that she wouldn't make him squirm, but she was secretly dying for a chance to catch him out.

The elderly couple in front of them took a step forward so Cliona stood on the next step. It was as she was moving forward that she noticed how Damon had skipped the queue. She wasn't angry that he had the gall to do something like that; in fact, she admired anyone with the courage to piss off all of those people that he had skipped. She was also flattered that he had skipped in order to stand next to her.

"Not misjudged, just underestimated"

"Oh quiet you, you misjudged and you know it. Can't say I would have expected to see you here either, would have thought that you'd be at the Grill" Cliona smiled, coming off as a little snobby which made Damon smile and look away.

"I told you that I go to other places apart from the bar"

"So this is technically the first time we've met outside of the Grill"

"Not exactly, there was also your shop opening in case you haven't forgotten"

"Not really, I was working and you were buying, that was business, this is recreational"

"Touché" came the replying smirk.

The line moved forward, allowing for them to take another step.

"And besides, you came here with friends and it would be rude for you to abandon them for little old me"

"First of all, you're not old. Trust me. And I came on my own, I was just checking in on my baby brother and his friends to make sure they were staying out of trouble. Besides, it would be more than rude to allow you to wander around on your own. You need someone to show you around the place." Damon replied, holding out his hand as the last people in front of them began to shake hands with a dark haired boy at the door.

Cliona smirked and took Damon's hand, allowing it to be linked with his, as they moved forward and came face to face with the guy at the door.

"Hey" the guy said uncomfortably.

"Hi" Damon smirked, although this time it seemed sardonic as he pulled Cliona away.

Cliona looked back and saw that the guy at the door with dark brown eyes and black hair had a look of utter shock on his face before leaving his position at the door.

"I don't care if I sound like a hypocrite, just tell me that they have an open bar here"

Damon looked down at Cliona with a smirk, looking as if he was going to say something. They pair were interrupted when his name was called and both of them turned around to see the guy that had been with Elena in the queue earlier.

"Hey, uh...We got a phone call and if you wouldn't mind, we kinda need you over here" he said.

"Cliona, meet my baby brother, this is Stefan. Stefan this is the towns new alternative shop owner. The first here in Mystic Falls I believe" Damon said, a smirk on his face almost as if he was daring Stefan to take him away somewhere. Stefan seemed used to his brother's game.

"Nice to meet you. That's certainly amazing, would you mind if I borrowed Damon for a moment please? Just a tiny little emergency, I'll bring him straight back"

"Take you're time" Cliona said with a small smile, trying to be polite. It was hard to be angry with someone who seemed so sincere. Damon looked at Cliona once more with an arrogant smirk that Cliona was only too happy to mess with, or compete with, before finally walking away with Stefan, easily getting lost in the crowd.

Cliona clasped her hands together and looked around, not knowing what to do. She spotted some fairy lights in a corner so she decided to check them out. Maybe looking around at the art on the walls would give her something to do if she was desperate enough.

No one was sitting there, to her relief, since most of them were talking and socialising which was what Cliona was beginning to chicken out of.

Cliona propped herself on one of the empty bar stools at the newly discovered bar. She knew that the rich people who lived here must have had one, party or no party.

Cliona ordered herself a drink and sat down, looking around. She spotted Kyle and waved at him, he seemed out of place in a white shirt and black skinny tie, hanging loosely around his neck, but he still looked as if he belonged on the cover of _Seventeen_.

"Hey, you came"

"Well I'd be classed as an outside if I stayed at home now wouldn't I? Or people could get suspicious of my lack of social skills and burn me at the stake in the towns square next week" Cliona replied, smiling as Kyle pushed his way through the crowd to get to her.

"Wouldn't be the first weird thing around here" Kyle replied, leaning against the counter.

"What do you mean?"

"Comet passed through a while back, people disappeared, the mayor died. All this weird stuff."

"That's a lot for a town to handle I suppose. I always wind up in the interesting places, don't I? Or the other thing could happen" Cliona said, taking a sip of her drink.

Kyle smiled boyishly and asked, "What thing?"

"I _make_ them interesting" Cliona replied, but her eyes ended up looked behind Kyle.

"Sorry about that, family stuff" Damon said from behind Kyle.

Kyle jumped, his eyes widening. "I better go, my dad will want to see that I'm not after running off yet" he said to Cliona.

"Tell Lucy I said hi" Cliona teased, wiggling her fingers at him before he turned and walked away into the crowd. She knew that Lucy was probably the only thing keeping him at the party and she, herself, was probably the back up plan if she wasn't there. Or, of course, if he chickened out talking to her or the rest of the people, just as she had. She put all of this down to just being a cool adult.

"Attracting the younger ones? You cougar" Damon said to Cliona, motioning for the bartender to get him a drink.

"Ick, don't give me that. Believe it or not, I have these things that are called standards." Cliona replied, sarcastically.

"Really, never would have guessed?"

"I know how you feel, I wouldn't have said you'd have any either"

"Ouch"

"Yeah"

"At least you came along in the end, wouldn't have said that crowds were for you"

Cliona let out an amused breath, looking up to the ceiling before looking back at Damon replying, "That's probably the only thing about me which you have guessed correctly."

"Finally!" Damon smiled, looking overjoyed to have finally gotten something right about her.

"Don't get used to it."

"Don't worry, I won't. And why don't you like crowds, may I ask?"

"Because I don't like people...only a few"

"A carefully chosen few I take it"

"Wouldn't have it any other way" Cliona replied, looking ahead of her and taking another sip of her drink.

"Huh...I haven't seen the Nut Job anywhere yet"

"I'm not talking to her, and don't mark me as a hypocrite. We just had a fight because she wouldn't listen to me when I warned her"

"Warned her?"

Oh crap, thought Cliona. She couldn't tell him the reason she had fought with Cordelia. She couldn't tell him what she was warned. What was she going to say?

"About staying out all the time. It's bad reputation on us and the business...and herself. I don't want her bringing stranger's home. The usual"

"You make it sound like an everyday occurrence...and you still say that you chose carefully?"

"Yes"

"Well I must be well chosen too, if you're talking to me"

"Don't know yet, haven't decided. You're fun, so you get credit for that. But I only just got here and I hardly know you, so that puts a dash of scepticism into the equation"

"You know me" Damon feigned hurt, his hand on his chest.  
>"I know you read vampire novels and drink in your spare time, which seems to be plentiful. Do you even have a job?"<p>

"Are you offering?"

"No?"

"Then no, I don't. Don't tell me you're one of _those_ women."

"What women?"

"Those one that demand that the guy they're with has a job"

"Wouldn't faze me, as long as he didn't try to live off of me for money"

"Seriously?"

"Well...yeah. It's your own choice. If I was unemployed I'd just get a hobby"

"I have a hobby, I'll let you know" Damon pointed at Cliona, his other hand holding his drink in his hand, getting ready to take a swig.

"Oh really?"

"Really"

"And that would be?"

"Reading vampire novels" Damon smirked, before taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Hmm...Oh and you also have one other"

"I do?" Damon asked his eyes widening, genuinely curious as to what she would say.

"You help your brother with emergencies. I know that I might help mine from time to time, but at the same time I just ran off and left them all there"

"You have a brother?"

"Mm hm. Younger too. Actually I have two younger ones...and a younger sister."

"So you're the eldest of four?"

"I like to think of it as three and a half"

"Half?"

"Half sibling"

"Ah...parents split"

"Yup...so what about you? Any other siblings?"

"Had a sister once, she died"

"Sorry"

"Yeah well, it was a long time ago"

"I heard your mayor died recently" Cliona said, trying to change the conversation topic and being reminded of what Kyle had said earlier.

"Year ago. Never knew him that well. Apparently he was an asshole"

"You ever hear of the saying 'We mustn't speak ill of the dead?'"

"You're just full of these one liners aren't you?"

"Brought up on them...or as my mother would say, 'They were bred into me'"

"Weird" Damon replied, shaking his head with an odd look on his face.

"Okay people lets get ready! In celebration of our annual celebrations let's get this party started with some karaoke! Who wants to go first?" a man with a microphone called over the crowd, he was standing on a makeshift stage, lights shining down on him.

"I'll have another one of those" Cliona nearly shouted straight away to the bartender, pointing at her glass, turning her back to the man with the mic.

000

"We are shining and we will never be afraid again" Cliona sang, her voice barely above a whisper, as Damon walked her up the steps to her house with his arm around her to give her some support.

"I highly doubt that"

"Huh?"

"People will always be scared of something. And we aren't light bulbs"

"Maybe we'll be reincarnated as FIREFLIES!" Cliona shouted into the night, throwing her hands up in the air and spinning around, only to lose her footing and nearly falling down, if it weren't for Damon catching her.

"I don't think so"

"You don't believe in Karma or reincarnation?"

"I believe in Karma...sometimes"

"What else do you believe in?"

"I don't know, what do you believe in?" Damon asked curiously, knowing that if she were sober she'd probably demand her question be answered first and that that was probably his second real prediction about her.

"I don't know, It changes...I don't believe in marriage...I don't believe in a forever...I don't pray..."

"You're very cynical aren't you?"

"Go away...and stop being right about stuff!"

"Stuff? Am I right about more than one thing?" Damon asked, still standing outside by the door.

"I was scared that you didn't like me"

"Huh?"

"Yeah 'cos you didn't call me. And I was like 'I won't be all pathetic and call first.' But I think that women tend to over think things. But I just enjoy talking to you and you're like the first nice person that's an adult that I've found since I got here. There was one, but she's a stuck up bitch..."

"Wait, you were scared that I didn't like you because I didn't call you?"

"It's over now though, because we're talking now" Cliona said in a perky voice, before beginning to dig around inside her bag.

She found her keys and began to fiddle around with them, nearly stumbling again in the process. Cliona nearly fell inside once she opened the door but this time Damon didn't make any attempt to help her.

"Hey, come here a second"

Cliona turned around with wide eyes to face Damon who kept his eyes locked with hers. "Invite me in"

"Would you like to come in?" Cliona whispered her eyes still on the man across from her.

"Sure" Damon replied, a fake smile on his face before taking a step over the threshold. "Now come on before you break you're neck trying to go upstairs"

"I wonder what the guy was thinking when he invented stairs" Cliona giggled, "Can't have been as disturbing as the guy that discovered milk". And with that, she erupted into a fit of laughter as she stumbled up stairs, with a smirking Damon standing behind her.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she turned to her left and grabbed the banister, which over looked the entire hallway, swinging over it, only to get pulled back. For a drunken person, Damon couldn't help but notice how short her attention span was.

"And the arms of the ocean are carrying me. And all this devotion was rushing out of me. And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me. The arms of the ocean delivered me." Cliona was back to singing as she was dragged down the hallway towards her room, which still needed to be unpacked. A sober Cliona wouldn't have let anybody see her room like this, especially a guy that she had only met three of four times. But drunken Cliona didn't have a care in the world.

Cliona let go of Damon and tried to walk over to her wooden bed, only to fall and smack her hand off of the corner of it. The drunk woman giggled, still on her hands and knees, and looked down at her hand to see a trickle of red blood oozing from a new fresh wound.

"Silly me" she waved it off, probably not feeling any pain because of her alcohol intake. She held up her hand to show Damon, a smile still on her face. For the first time since she met him, she watched his smirk fall from his face, a look of utter shock taking over. His eyes began to darken and veins began to stand out around his eyes before he turned around, avoiding her gaze.

Thank God she was drunk, she'd remember none of it, and if she did, she could just tell herself it was all an odd dream.

Before she could say anything, Damon had run towards her, looking into her eyes again saying, "You're tired and you're going to sleep now. You fell and hurt yourself because you were drunk, I never stepped inside your house, I just gave you a ride home and that's all you remember"

"It's all I remember"

"Good" And with that, Damon turned around and was gone.

000

"Ow, Kyle. Not so loud"

"Sorry Clee"

"No bother, just mind my head, adult with hangover. Remember? You know the feeling; I bet you know what the morning after a session feels like"

"Session?"

"You know? Binge drinking?"

"Another phrase to add to my ever increasing list" Kyle replied sarcastically, packing a shelf near the window.  
>"Oh quiet you, I pay your wages." Cliona smiled over to the teenager. She wasn't as grumpy as most people would be after a hangover, but that was mostly because she just couldn't stay angry with Kyle, especially when he hadn't done anything.<p>

"So how was your night? Any...bit of luck?"

"Why, did you ask one of your leprechaun friends for a favour?"

"Nah, thought I'd stick around and deduct salaries instead" Cliona remarked, sticking her tongue out, before picking up her mug of coffee in both hands and taking a sip.

"Yeah, just don't turn into Mr Hodgkin's, you'll have no customers?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, he's this guy that owns a shop across the Grill, he is really stingy. His prices are sky high and no one will work for him because he gives tiny wages. I had this friend once that had to do work experience there and said that he was finding empty gin bottles everywhere"

"Wow...tell me more"

000

"So they were related?" Cliona asked in a scandalous voice.

"Yeah", Kyle replied, "Then she left and he was brought off by his dad. No one has heard of them since, not even the woman who said she was helping matters by informing the parents."

"Woman? It was a she?"

"Yeah, and you know her too"

"I do? Who is it?"

"Cecile"

"Oh my God, Maxine?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, I have nicknames for people sometimes"

"Oh...random, where did you pull that out of?"

"TV, you know that vampire series on HBO?"

"Oh right, my dad isn't into me watching that stuff"

"That's what you have the internet for" Cliona replied knowingly, tapping her nose with a wink.

"Yeah, good idea...you're a bad influence"

"But you'll keep coming back because you know where your bread is buttered"

"...Another liner right?"

"Quiet you"

Cliona stood by the counter, returning to the books while Kyle resumed his shelf packing until Cliona was hit with a sudden thought. "Hey Kyle?"

"Yeah?"

"You know how we were talking about people in town?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you know about the Salvatore's?"

"Stefan goes to the same school as me, he's only like a year of two ahead, and he's dating Elena Gilbert whose little brother is in my year."

"And Stefan's brother?"

"Only really see him at functions of the Grill sometimes, likes to keep to himself. Although, sometimes he walks through town."

"That's it?"

"Like I said, he keeps to himself...although I heard that he is big with the founders club"

"You have a founders club? God how cliché"

"Yeah well, they are big into their roots and organise events and stuff, like the one from last night"

"He organised that?"

"Not exactly, the Mayors wife does all that stuff"

"But your Mayor is dead so how-"

"Can this all be happening?"

"Yeah"

"Odd town, I thought you woulda copped on to that by now...until we find a new Mayor, his wife is in charge"

"And when will you find a new Mayor?"

"Don't know really, next election season? When Tyler goes to college? Who knows?"

"Tyler?"

"Oh he's the Mayors son. He was at the door last night welcoming everyone"

"Ah, and what's the scoop on him?"

"He's dating the Sheriffs daughter"

"God, everyone here is so close knit. I'm surprised you're not all related or inbred."

"Well, every now and then the town is hit with some new blood" Kyle smirked of to Cliona, who was grasping for her coffee again.

"Ugh, I don't plan on procreating, thank you very much"

"Why? I'm sure you'd be an awesome mom, and that's coming from me"

"You're a guy, you wouldn't understand. There are midnight feeds, and crying and stretch marks and pains and cramps, pushing the kid out of you, nine months of carrying the kid, morning sickness, rushing to the bathroom, cravings..."

"Okay, okay, I get it...Most guys want kids though"

"Well they aren't the ones carrying them. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with kids, just not creating them"

"Just saying, most guys want a family and kids and marriage"

"Well I don't want kids and I most certainly don't want marriage"

"Seriously? You don't believe in marriage? Now you really _will_ be burnt at the stake in the towns square"

"Even if I did, it's be small and there would be pre-nups"

"Oh no, you've already met Hodgins" Kyle said sarcastically.

"Go away, I just don't believe that marriage lasts and because of that, things tend to get very messy when people split. You know over 50% of marriages these days end in divorce, most people say that it's urban myth but when I was in school, which wasn't that long ago believe it or not, there were twenty four people in my class, and twelve of them had separated parents"

"Woah, I sometimes wonder, if my mother would still be with my dad if she hadn't died. I mean, he is so controlling now but sometimes I wonder if he is just like that or if it's because she isn't around anymore. You know?"

"Yeah, but sometimes when something bad happens, something amazing comes around and you don't even realize it"

"I suppose. God, sometimes you can be a complete teenager and at others you can be a complete adult"

"Erh, thanks?" Cliona questioned with a smile on her face, her mug held to her lips.

"No I'm serious. It's like you remember what it's like. Adults always say that the teenage years are a walk in the park but they are really quiet complicated and you remember that, it's why you're so 'down with the kids', well that and you're not afraid to smoke my pot"

"That was one time"

"You still did it"

"So?"

"I must say, you did it so easily, as if you had experience"

"Everyone smokes at some time in their lives, and it doesn't have to be on a plant"

"So how old were you, when you first did any of that stuff?"

"Don't know if I should be telling you really, being a bad influence and all" Cliona replied sarcastically, enjoying Kyle's reactions, seeing as he was genuinely curious.

"Oh come on"

"First drag...I could have been around twelve"

"You're serious?"

"Yep, a lot of the people I grew up with started then, and are still at it now"

"What about the first time you drank?"

"I don't know...I was given sips as a child"

"Okay then, first full bottle?"

"Around eleven or twelve. I was in a tent" Cliona told Kyle, walking around the shop, lifting a box and putting things on the shelves at the other side of the room as she continued with her story, "We were on holiday, and I met a friend who could get her hands on the stuff, so she bought lots of vodka with the intention of getting me absolutely hammered"

"And did she succeed?"

"Nope, but the more I told her that I was sober the less she believed me. So if you were to ask her these days if she succeeded, she'd tell you that she did when she actually didn't"

"How did you get away with it? I mean, I bet your parents were on the holiday too"

"Oh they were in a caravan, and I was in a tent for the night with my friend"

"Are you still in touch with this friend?"

"Always visit her when I go home"

"And do you go home often?"

"Not really, but like I told you earlier kid, that's what the internet is for"

At that moment, the bells over the door chimed as it was opened, Kyle didn't say anything, not even a greeting, so Cliona put down the box and walked around the shelves to get a look at their visitor. As she walked towards the front of the room, a head of blonde hair swished around to face the woman.

"Oh Clee, I'm so sorry. I was such a bitch, Please forgive me" Cordelia ran to Cliona and threw her arms around her, trying not to cry and not succeeding.

"What happened?" Cliona asked, putting her arms around a sobbing Cordelia.

"I needed to know that you'd forgive me because...what if something happened and we never made up, or what if you left or I left tomorrow, we can't throw away years of friendship just like that. We're in a strange place and we need each other and I'm so sorry for not listening to you...about everything...about teasing you, about men...you were right. You were right all along and I should've listened to you"

"Shh. Come into the back room with me. Tell me what happened" Cliona said to a teary Cordelia, before turning to Kyle to signal for him to put up the lunch sign and that she would be back soon. Kyle nodded obediently and ran towards the door to do what he was told.

"He was so nice and he didn't try anything and then last night I went to the party and had a few drinks, but I wasn't drunk or anything. I didn't even finish the third one. Then he started looking me in the eye and saying things, making me do things and I wouldn't. So then he got angry and started throwing things and breaking things and he went to attack me, his eyes were so dark and I was so scared. He was after breaking a chair and the leg of it was broken and I sorta stabbed him with it and I don't know what to do...I don't know...I don't know...please help me" Cordelia begged as she finally broke down.

"Shh shh, it's okay, it's okay" Cliona held Cordelia as she cried into her shoulder, rocking back and forth.

This town certainly was interesting.

**Aw, what the hell is going on now? Cordelia is meeting a dark eyed violent guy that likes to look into her eyes. Damon seems to do the same thing when Cliona is drunk and apparently Cecile makes herself hated by other people too.**

**Review!**


	4. Perfectly Imbalanced

**What would you guys say if I murdered Katherine? Just a quick thought. This is probably the shortest chapter I have written and probably the shortest I ever WILL write. If I continued on to the next checkpoint of the story, I'd be here all day and it's almost half past nine at night and I still need to get cracking on my homework. Ugh. At least I have Art tomorrow, yay!**

**Thank you so much to the people who have the decency to slow down and write a review. It means everything to me and I hope you like this chapter, you make me want to write perfectly.**

**Enjoy!**

_Perfectly Imbalanced_

A week after Cordelia had returned, she seemed to be going back to her old self. She still disappeared to go places which made Cliona a little edgy at first but she let it go. She still wore scarves, which was odd enough. Cliona didn't want to push Cordelia for anything, especially so soon.

Kyle didn't say anything either, which Cliona was grateful for. He carried on normally around her.  
>So obviously, Cliona was delighted to find out that Cordelia's mother was coming over. But once she had fully processed the fact that it was <em>Cordelia's<em> mother, she totally lost it. This meant that she would be kicked out of her own house.

The fact that Jean was even going to be in the vicinity turned Cliona's stomach. Jean Graham was a woman that liked to insult you every chance she got and was one of the reasons that Cordelia had been so persistent in leaving her home in the first place. Cliona wasn't looking forward to her visit in the very least.

In order to avoid her, she decided to go to the Grill, Cordelia was going to wind up being forced into showing her mother the shop anyway and if the worst came to the worst, Cliona wouldn't mind bending the rules and allowing Kyle run the shop and use the register. That was how much Cliona hated Jean Graham.

Damon wasn't there when Cliona sat down and ordered her drink. It felt a little odd, but she didn't have that long to wait.

"Well well, what have we got here?"

"I was kicked out of my own house. Be nice"

"Ouch, I knew that you wouldn't be the nicest person to fight with, but this is getting ridiculous"

"It's not that. I'm talking to Cordelia, her mother is in town"

"Wow, what did she do to make you forgive her, did she grovel?"

"She admitted she was wrong after coming back in tears after some guy attacked her"

"What?" Damon asked, one hundred percent serious.

"She said something about, him looking at her in the eyes and attacking her and that he broke things"

"Did she say anything else?"

Cliona felt like she needed to tell him that Cordelia had stabbed this guy with a piece of wood, but instead she shook her head and looked down at her glass.

"A lot sure can happen in a week" Damon murmured before taking a drink.

"You're telling me" Cliona replied, a little sorrowfully. She sat up straight and cleared her throat before asking, "So what about you? Anything interesting? A new novel perhaps?"

000

"You have a lot of pictures"

"I got bored during the week, so I decided to unpack a bit. I wanted the pictures up first"

"I like this one" Damon pointed to a black and white picture of a forest. The pair was standing in Cliona's hallway, observing the many pictures that Cliona had taken through the years.

"That was taken when I was sixteen"

"Seriously?"

"Yep, on my first proper camera which I still have, somewhere around here"

"What about this one" Damon pointed to a picture of a river, reeds moving in the river. The picture seemed to be taken from behind a barrier and land could be seen across the river.

"That was taken on my phone and photo-shopped…I was fourteen or fifteen"

"Always had a knack for it I see. I still don't see why you didn't just open a photography place here"

"Maybe, some day. If Cordelia gets a life without me and I have the money"

"You'd be a fool to waste your talent"

"I don't waste it. I take pictures, as you can see. And there are weddings and stuff like that."

"Ever look into magazines and newspapers?"

"Magazines are fake and planned, I prefer objects and the spur of the moment…I'm not a fan of people, especially models. They all get really bitchy" Cliona replied, standing next to Damon with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, people suck"

Cliona chuckled in agreement, "You have no idea"

"So where is your Nut Job?"

"Trying to flaunt success in her mothers face and keep her far away from the house for as long as possible."

"Well, I take it that her mother will be staying the night"

Cliona sighed in defeat, "I'd sleep in the forest before I'd share a house with that woman"

Damon looked as if he was going to say something smart when the sound of the front door opening was heard. The sound of heels against the wooden floor echoed throughout the house along with the voices of their owners. The two that had been looking at the pictures turned around to see the newcomers, their arms still crossed.

"But you could have at least looked into them."

"Yes well not all of us can…oh, hi. I didn't expect you to be here"

Cordelia looked at the pair, a little bit of shock in her eyes until she looked at Cliona, who was seeing the obvious looks of pleading and desperation. Cordelia had entered with a smaller woman with shorter blonde hair than her and more defined cheekbones. She seemed to have a relationship with fake tan and still had a thing for the colour white. She was like an older and more elegant version of Cordelia.

"Oh Cleo dear! How lovely it is to see you. My, have you put on some weight?"

Cliona fought the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that Cordelia's mother had once again gotten her name wrong and also still lacked in a mental 'thought-filter'. Thinking about the older woman's faults had her forgetting the fact that she had just been insulted in front of a guy that she had brought home and had also been infiltrating her mind when she wasn't around him.

"Mother!" Cordelia cried, feeling embarrassed for her friend.

"Nice to see you too, Jean" Cliona replied as if she had been unaffected.

"So what are you doing at home? Feeling too tired to go to the shop and work, thought you'd leave Cordelia to do all the work?"

"We have other employee's Jean" Cliona replied, taking every ounce of willpower she had not to say it through grinded teeth. She knew where this was heading so she thought it best to leave before the storm decided to start up. She turned to Damon and asked "Want to go somewhere else...Let these two catch up?"

"Sure"

000

"What a bitch"

"Yeah...and then she went and told her _whole_ circle. In front of her!" Cliona replied, her speech slurred.

"You two lead an incredibly random life, between hermaphrodite cats and mothers that go and say something like _that_!"

"It's not as bad as the time I accidentally told Jean to fuck off" Cliona grinned into her drink, the sentence making Damon nearly choke on his own as he took a sip.

"What? How did _that_ happen? I mean, can you really call it an accident?"

"Cordelia has this thing about playing rough, and I think she got it from Jean. But one day we were by the docks, back when I was a teenager. And someone yanked my hair or poked me, I can't remember, whatever. And I said 'fuck off' loudly because I thought it was Cordelia, but, when I turned around..."

"Ooooh"

"Yep"

"God that woman sounds evil. And I've known evil women, trust me"

"Ex?"

"Oh, yeah"

"Well any ex of yours must be a complete bitch anyway, 'cos you're all kinds of awesome"

This earned Cliona a smirk in her direction from the love of her compliment and the entertainment of her drunkenness.

"So what will you do tonight then? If you refuse to go anywhere near Satan's Wife...and I highly doubt you'll want that with the hangover you'll have tomorrow."

"I won't have a hangover, which only happens when I'm completely smashed, I'm only tipsy"

"Yeah well either way, you'll want to avoid her"

"Stop figuring me out so well!"

"Well stop making it easy!"

"Well stop... making me make it easy"

"Okay that was just a terrible comeback"

"I know, right?"

"I'm surprised you're friend isn't the one drinking, seeing as _she's_ the one related to her"

"Oh Cordelia isn't big with alcohol after something happened years ago"

Damon raised his eyebrow at Cliona questioningly. Cliona's eyes widened, realising what she had just said and rushing to fix her mistake, "No. I wasn't supposed to say that. Sorry I can't say anymore, I'm a vault. I keep my friends secrets, and I don't talk behind their backs, that's why I left home, because everyone liked to talk about everyone"

"And have you reached that conclusion yet? About us being friends?" Damon asked, not being totally serious.

"Sure, why not. Let's just give that a go"

"Oh joy, someone new to spill their secrets"

"Maybe some other time"

"So you have secrets then"

"I just have things that I don't like to talk about, don't necessarily class them as secrets." Cliona replied simply, flagging down the barman for a glass of water. Damon watched her and thought about what she had said, his brow furrowed in contemplation of what that might be as he leaned against the counter.

"Thank you" Cliona said to the man behind the bar as he put her water down in front of her before walking off to attend to another customer.

"Well at least give me a clue"

"I don't think so"

"Psycho Ex?"

"Nope"

"Illness?"

"Nope"

"Deformed limb?"

"I was born with a crooked finger, it's no secret and I carry it around with pride" Cliona replied, holding up her pinkie finger on her right hand, which was slightly bent inwards.

"Criminal history?"

"Nope, never been caught" Cliona smirked in response.

Damon had to smirk at her response, "Hm, family skeletons?"

Cliona didn't say anything this time, only dropped her smirk and looked down at her glass. Damon noticed her change in attitude straight away and decided to take a different approach in getting information out of her. "I know that feeling, never got along with my father"

"And there is some more mutual ground on which we stand"

"That ground seems to be getting bigger, don't ya think?" sarcasm laced Damon's voice, which made Cliona smirk. She enjoyed his sarcasm. She found it extremely funny. "Look, why don't you crash at mine tonight, we've got too many free rooms and my brother will probably be with Elena for most of the night and I highly doubt you'd want to go near a motel here, they suck."

"I don't know" Cliona said unsurely.

"Oh come on, what are friends for?" came the answering smirk.

000

"Wow"

"I never grow tired of people reactions when they walk in"

"I'd hate to be the cleaner"

"Well, it's only two guys here, and we don't stay in a lot so there isn't that much time to mess it up."

"Are you sure your brother won't mind?"

"Well he's usually the saint around here, so once you tell him about Satan's Wife, he'll practically be asking you if you need anything every five minutes"

"Lucky, usually my brother would sit around all day like a sloth"

"What about the half one?"

"I don't know, never really met him"

"You've never met your brother?" Damon asked in disbelief, as he watched Cliona wander over towards the book shelves and sift along the many volumes with ease, "Nope"

"How did you get away with that?"

"Easy, just refuse to see the kid's mother"

"Okay now you lost me"

"I might tell you the story some time"

Damon gave her an odd look. He knew that he could make her tell him the truth but he found her reactions interesting and actually quiet unpredictable, he wanted to see if he could make her talk without any sort of compulsions. "Come on; better show you to your room"

"You could easily rent this place out or turn it into a lodge of some sort. You'd make a killing"

"Yeah, put the motels out of business"

Cliona giggle in response, "Yeah, and that shall be your first step towards world domination"

They had reached the top of the stairs now and were facing each other.

"That's not a bad idea, might have to make you my Vice President or something" Damon smirked down at her.

"Oh, the ideas. The power will just get to my head" Cliona cried dramatically, placing a hand to her forehead, "However will I cope?"

"Here we are" Damon said, bring them back to reality and opening a door down that hall towards the left.

Cliona walked in and held back a gasp. The decor of the room followed the rest of the house with its dark wooden furnishings and four poster bed. At the other end of the room was a large window which took up most of the wall and a window-seat.

"I hope that everything will be to your liking?" Damon mocked a butler.

Cliona gave him a sarcastic grin and said, "I'll just have to survive somehow."

000

Cliona was fast asleep by the time Stefan got home, only to be greeted by his older brother sitting by the fire with his usual bourbon in hand. But something felt off this time, as usual as it was to come home to find Damon this way. Something in the air was different, he could sense it. And that's when he heard it, a heart beat. Coming from upstairs. There was a slow, healthy heart beat coming from upstairs.

Stefan looked up, as if he had X-Ray vision and could see who was up there.

"Don't worry, she won't be any trouble" Damon called from the couch, his eyes not leaving the fire.

"I thought that we were over this, they aren't your puppets. We don't want a repeat of Vicky, especially now with everything going on"

"She isn't compelled and I haven't touched her, if anything, I'm helping her"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well she is temporarily avoiding her house and we couldn't leave her in a motel now could we? I mean, have you watched any of those cleaning programmes on TV? Not to mention anyone could easily walk in without an invitation."Damon replied with ease, even though he knew that anyone could easily walk into this house too, with the exception that he and Stefan were there.

"I'm serious Damon, what is going on?"

Damon let his smirk drop as he put down his glass with a sigh on a nearby table and stood up to face his younger brother.

"Everything is under control, she doesn't know anything and even if she found out, she can be compelled. No big deal" Damon shrugged.

"Yes it is a big deal! Because she is going to need to be given vervain unless you want someone like Katherine to get to her!"

"Okay, seriously? Dude, you said that she was immune to the stuff, and Katherine has no motive to touch Cliona anyway. Katherine only targets people we supposedly care about, like you and Elena, whom I may also add is still alive. I don't feel anything for this chick; I'm just doing something nice, am I not allowed to do a good deed?" Damon asked mockingly as he walked past Stefan to go upstairs.

"You don't do favours Damon, unless you're after something in return" Stefan called out, making his brother hesitate, before finally going upstairs, leaving Stefan alone to contemplate what was going on, the very thing that Damon had been doing just moments before he'd arrived.

000

"Aren't you supposed to be in work?" Damon asked, walking into the kitchen to see the houses new temporary resident sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal and a newspaper.

"Aren't you supposed to be drinking whiskey?" came the retort.

"Touché"

"I'm not a morning person so ignore me. I have a day off"

"You seriously get those? I always tagged you as the pushover that did nothing _but_ work" Damon leaned against the counter top, his arms folded.

"Five days a week, and two of them can be half days...no wait, I own the place, so any day could be a half day"

"But unlucky for you, you're responsible which means that you won't take a short cut"

"Hiring that Kyle kid was enough excitement, but he's alright to have around"

"Yeah, I know his dad, met him a few times"

"Really?"

"Yeah Ryan Sterling, stupid name if you ask me"

Cliona sniggered from behind her paper, unable to say anything accept, "I heard he was supposed to be a right twat"

"Mweh, he's just one of those 'by the book' guys, you know?"

"Boring"

"My thoughts exactly" Damon smirked over to the newspaper.

"And this paper is boring too, does anything happen in this town apart from rabid animals on the loose?"

"Not really, no. Sorry to disappoint"

"It's okay. I have to go now anyway. I have some things that need sorting, like the house, while Cordelia and Jean aren't there, one less thing for her to complain about. Might see you later" Cliona said, folding her paper and leaving it on the table, before walking out of the room, calling "See ya".

Damon looked after her, an odd look in his face. It was weird have a normal person in the house, almost incomprehensible. He went over to the table and looked down at the headlines to see if there was anything worth reading, and what he got was much more than he had bargained for. Cliona hadn't been too far off the marker when she had said 'rapid animal'. There had been another animal attack.

000

"We are never going to be free of these things!"

"Calm down Ryan"

"No Liz, I won't. They need to be stopped once and for all. I thought we made sure of that when John Gilbert got that device"

"More could have come along since then, and if you won't control yourself I'll have Sheriff Forbes make sure that you are escorted from here" Mrs Lockwood said, trying to bring some control back to the council meeting.

"But what are we to do in the meantime while those demons are out there? What about our kids?" Cecile asked concern etched on her face, making Damon want to roll his eyes at her. Pathetic.

"We have made sure that the drinks and food at the Mystic Grill will now be served with vervain, giving your children any types of jewellery with vervain in them or spiking their food with it would be advisable"

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement, except Damon who wasn't held under scrutiny because everyone else at the table had children.

"There is also one other topic of discussion which I would like to bring up" Mrs Lockwood said, an awkward look on her face.

"What is it Carol?" Sheriff Forbes asked, her brow furrowed in worry.

"In a few weeks there will be a new election. I will also be stepping down from the head of the council if my husband's successor is aware of...what we are here for"

No one said anything. No one liked bringing up the Mayor in front of her, as much of an asshole as he was. The loss was still raw to her, and it was obvious to everyone. No one wanted to ask a question, it was a mystery about where she would live, the Lockwood's owned the mansion and they had even owned the land one hundred years previously but it was a Mayors house, the new Mayor of the town would need a big house wouldn't he, or she? It was interesting to see how things would play out.

Life in Mystic Falls was like a book, where everyone was dying to read the next chapter.

"So have we got any leads on this new string of animal attacks?" Ryan asked, preventing any uncomfortable silences from happening.

"Not yet" Sheriff Forbes replied in her serious police voice "All we know is that they are new to town, so finding them is probably going to be the hardest thing we can do, seeing as they may not expect us to know anything, especially if we are passing it off as an animal attack"

Damon held back a snort; vampires knew that they were known, it was no secret. It'd probably be all up to him again, like Lexi and Logan, who would have been an easy enough kill if it weren't for the fact that Ana had known about Katherine the entire time.

"Things would be so much easier if we just had that Gilbert device again"

"Yes well, John is dead so we don't know where it is, or what it even looks like for that matter. That information was never given. It's is a secret which was taken to the grave" Damon's eyes flashed up to Carol, who had spoken. That device should have been destroyed, it had almost gotten him caught and not only that but the woman's husband had been the one to learn the truth about him just before he died, oh and it was also the reason he had been killed too. Damon wouldn't have been surprised if Elena and Jeremy had buried John with his precious device. No one in Mystic Falls would have the guts to dig up a man's grave, especially not John Gilbert's...except, of course, Damon himself.

"Any idea as to how we find this thing?" Cecile snapped at Liz, her chubby face turning bright red as she did so and hit the table with her fist.

"Look, there will be another party soon, so we'll push it up to a day time party to see who to suspect, we are also looking into any newcomers into town, and any suspicious behaviour"

"You should look into those new girls that opened that shop" Cecile said matter of factly, "That blonde is out every night and you ever see her outside in the middle of the day, always indoors. They sell all witchy things in that shop. They aren't normal. I'm telling you that something is going on!"

"Cecile please, I've seen those girls, the brunette goes out all the time and the blonde just likes to go out to enjoy herself and get to know the place. And there is no proof of anything supernatural going on in that shop." Liz tried to reason from across the table. Carol's eyes jumping back and forth, from the head of the table, between the two bickering women.

"They sell strange herbs and books on numerology and aura's and stuff like that. There is even a poster of the devil on one of those poster racks!"

"It's what the kids are buying these days. They are merely making their living. These people don't know anything about our town, so until then leave them alone!" Liz ordered, her voice rising. She glanced at Carol who immediately took the side of the Sheriff.

"I'm sorry Cecile, but unless you can prove anything going on in that shop, you are to leave well enough alone"

"Ryan, your son works there. Are you aware of that?"

"Kid has to make his money somewhere. It makes him responsible and gets him out of the house. Teaches him about life and values. He's been in a better mood and it'll give him a taste of working life for when he leaves school, it'd look good on college forms and I'm sorry Cecile but I'm not going to pull him out of that job"

"But he can work at the Grill"

"The only space available is behind the bar and I'm not allowing my son near all of that alcohol" Mr Sterling snapped, ending Cecile's protest. He had had enough and he wasn't going to take anymore of it. Kyle had been well behaved for the first time in a while and he had seemed clean. Ryan didn't want his son drinking or anything like that, but little did he know Kyle was just after figuring out a new place to smoke, even if he had cut down.

"They must have done something to him to make him so well behaved" Cecile said, facing Carol.

It was at this point that Damon had to roll his eyes and interject, "If I may, the kid is turning around now because he liked the shop and the owners. They get along well and wouldn't you prefer him to like an adult and talk to them rather than cut off all connection and get lost into a world of drug abuse? No you wouldn't. So I think, Cecile, you should just do as Liz here says, and drop it"

Cecile had a look of pure shock, which quickly turned to one of outrage, on her face as she looked around at everyone. "What is wrong with you people? I'm going to prove it! I'll show all of you!" she nearly screeched as she stood up quickly, knocking over her chair in the process. She didn't look back as she grabbed her handbag and swung it over her shoulder before walking out of the room in a huff.

Everyone watched her as she left. Most of them knowing that she wouldn't give up. But all of them, dreading it.

000

"Here's to the embarrassing moment when a guy can cook and you can't" Damon teased Cliona while raising his glass of red wine.

"Oh shut up"

"You might want to watch yourself, I could evict you"

"Yeah, why did you even offer anyway? You hardly know me. I could be a crazy stalker that kills your cat and practises Satanism when you aren't around" Cliona said sarcastically, as she leaned against the kitchen island.

"A friend in need, and all that jazz."Damon replied, stirring the pot of pasta sauce with a wooden spoon.

"How do you cook?" Cliona asked, deciding on just firing questions.

"How do you not?"

"I asked first"

"You usually do" Damon smirked over his shoulder to see a frowning Cliona, making him frown himself. "I told you that I had other hobbies apart from drinking. I just...don't do it a lot."

"Yeah, only when a woman is around" Cliona replied, before taking a swig of her wine.

"Yeah well, time for you to tell me why you don't cook"

"Because I...it was like conforming. We had to choose between cooking classes and metalwork classes. So I went for the boy's class"

"So I can make sure that you're fed, while you can make sure that my car engine is perfect?"

"Yep"

"We are just perfectly imbalanced"

"I wasn't the only girl...even though the only other girl in the class with me was only there in order to escape the clutches of the cookery teacher." Cliona said dramatically, waving her arm about as if to demonstrate a point before taking another swig of the wine.

"Well make yourself useful and get cutting those peppers. Never too late to learn"

Cliona huffed and picked up the kitchen knife to begin cutting.

"I bet this means that I'll have to teach you about car maintenance" she said sarcastically, cutting into a red pepper.

"I'll survive"

"You'd be surprised at the amount of guys that can't say that"

"You said the exact same thing about people speaking Irish in Ireland"

"Well they're all in the same boat then, aren't they?"

"Must be one hell of a boat"

"Oh it is," Cliona said sarcastically, finding the current vegetable being chopped a little difficult, "It rocks and jolts and many people fall out and nearly drown"

Damon laughed at her choice of words as he faced the pots, his back to her. They both laughed until Cliona let out a hiss and gasped. Damon looked over to see what had happened, only to see Cliona walking towards him, holding her finger, "Got a bandage anywhere?"

Damon looked down at her hand to see red blood oozing from her finger, the same blood that he had seen the night in her room when she had fallen down in her drunken state. He stared at the blood on her finger, the red liquid acting like a siren calling a sailor to his doom.

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

Damon could feel his eyes changing and quickly rubbed at them, turning around so he wouldn't have to face her.

"Your eyes"

"Just got something in it, sorry blood makes me...weird"

"It's okay. You're not the first person I've come across"

"Bandages are under the sink"

He didn't turn around until he knew he had his eyes under control and his fangs had retracted. Cliona was just turning off the tap and ripping open one of the bandage wrappers when he looked over.

That had been a close one.

**So think about that Katherine question. Because there could be a major plot twist with her if you let me kill her. I plan on letting a good few people die actually. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. This is also going to be based after the whole Klaus thing. I want my own drama, not the original from the series. It's just easier that way and I rather OC's doing stuff, that way I don't have to worry that much about getting into character. I hope I have Damon written well enough, he's fun to write.**

**Review!**

**Skitz ;)**


	5. Because You're Not Like The Others

**And here you are with your next chapter! Sorry that it wasn't sooner, I just had psychology essays and I still have homework that needs to get done. I'm going to Dublin for the day tomorrow and I want to get my next pirate chapter finished too, not to mention that my beta is hounding me for another chapter of my Dark Knight fiction. And while I do all of this, I like to read.**

**I only just realised that Jean Graham sort of reminds me of Sue Sylvester from Glee...the way she insults everyone with ease and never gets Cliona's name right...  
>I also like how Damon is nice to Cliona and listens to her, yet he can be a jerk to his brother, it's obvious that he can care about people, after Andy died especially.<strong>

**You get more Ryan and Elena here so, I hope you like that. Elena should become more and more frequent, Bonnie and Lucy too. Sorry for this long note but, it had to be said...well maybe not my excuses but still.**

**Enjoy and review!**

By the time Thursday finally came around, Cliona was practically counting down the days until Jean left for home that Sunday. Cordelia had called the night before to tell Cliona what had happened earlier. Apparently Jean had been insisting that they go shopping. Cordelia liked to shop but she absolutely hated it with her mother, especially when she became a little too 'honest' as she liked to call it.

After shopping, they had gone to lunch together, only for Cordelia to be criticised on the type of salad she had ordered and how she should drink more water because whatever she had been drinking at the time wasn't helping her pores. This subject had started Jean off on the topic of black heads and how Cordelia was always using the wrong cosmetics.

And the worst part?

It was only 1pm.

Cliona put down the phone, feeling terrible for her friend as she did so. She looked down at the phone just imagining what Jean was saying right now. Probably complaining about shoes or Cliona, or the town. Or maybe she was complaining about Cordelia's relationship status, which would spark a reaction and Cordelia could come home crying. Then Cliona could fight with Jean and put the chase on her, only for the older woman never to be seen again.

Cliona sighed, disappointed at how her fantasy wasn't real. It would have been amazing but it was just a fairytale. Besides, Cordelia would still allow Jean back into her life. That was the funny thing about Cordelia, she would fight with you and you may not talk to her for years, but when it came to her mother she'd be a completely different kettle of fish.

The bell above the shop door jangled and a middle aged man walked in. He had light brown hair and a receding hair line and a serious look on his face when he walked in, which instantly turned into one of awkwardness.

"Are you Miss Murphy?"

"Yes. I am. Can I help you?"

The man outstretched his hand towards her, "I'm Ryan. I'm Kyle's father"

"Oh" Cliona took Ryan's hand and shook it. "Very nice to meet you at last. You have a lovely son, very hard worker"

"That's always nice to hear"

"We love having him around."

"Well actually I came to talk to you about his job here actually"

"Is everything okay?" Cliona asked. Her eyes widened as she expected the worst. She didn't want to lose Kyle. How else would she learn about the towns inhabitants and prevent herself from getting bored on those long days when she had to work on her own.

"Oh no no. Everything is fine. I just wanted to come by and tell you how thankful I am that you took him in. No one else would do what you did, especially with his track record. I wanted to say thank you for reaching out to him. He's a completely new person now. He isn't getting into trouble and he's not coming home drunk or anything. You've done so much when you don't know us. So if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask"

Cliona was stunned. She hadn't expected Kyle's father to thank her but now that she thought about it, Kyle had been different when she had first met him compared to now.

"Um, no problem. I'm fine for the moment but if anything comes to mind, I'll let you know"

"Okay-"

Ryan was interrupted when the bell over the door sounded throughout the room and in walked Cecile, a bright pink shirt and a pair of green pants.

She looked around but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Ryan. Cliona could've sworn that she had seen a flash of anger in her eyes before a look of shock crossed her features. Without a word, she turned and walked out of the shop, just like that.

"What's her problem?" Cliona asked, mostly to herself.

"Look, I don't know how to repay you so for now I'll give you some advice" Ryan said, the seriousness back in his eyes, "Watch yourself around her. Be careful"

Cliona opened her mouth about to ask what he was talking about, but Ryan had turned around and headed for the door before she could get even a word out.

Kyle wouldn't be in until later, Cliona didn't know how Kyle would have reacted if he'd seen his father walk into the shop.

000

After lunch, Cliona decided to get cracking on inventory and got counting the stock, always the person that liked to be on top of things. Kyle has sweeping the floor as the brunette woman stood by the shelves, pen in hand.

As she wrote down the amount of coffee mugs there were, she decided to ask Kyle what he knew, "Kyle?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you know about Cecile?"

"Only what I've told you, why?"

"Just wondering, I got a warning about her today so I was just curious"

"Who warned you?"

"Oh…um…don't know them, some girl." Cliona lied through her teeth. She didn't want to tell Kyle that his father had been in the shop earlier.

"So...how have you been keeping?" she decided to jump to a different topic as she went over to the shelf where the glow in the dark Jack Skellington alarm clocks were on display.

"Okay I guess, are you feeling okay?"

"Me? I'm fine. Why?"

"You just…you're acting unusual. Normally you'd want to know about someone new or something. You don't usually ask people about themselves in depth"

"I only asked how you are"

"Come on, spill it. Please don't turn into every other adult here that lies and keeps secrets"

"I met your dad today" Cliona blurted, but trying not to look worried. On the inside, she was terrified of Kyle's reaction, wanting to shake and look apologetic, while on the outside she was the picture of cool.

"What did he say?" Kyle asked, turning back to his job and sweeping the floor, even though he was looking at the floor Cliona could tell that he was trying to keep his cool too. He was curious as to what his father had said but he refused to look pushy. It was insane how much she had in common with this kid.

"Just that he's proud of how you're getting on in life. You seem clean and staying out of trouble and that he said that he wanted to say thank you for giving you the job here…which makes me want to ask, have you been using?"

"No" Kyle responded calmly, still watching the floor, "Not since that day you took a drag yourself. There was just something about it, and it made me realize that there was no fun in it"

"You're dad is proud of you Kyle, he's just terrified that he'll screw up and that that will impact your life. He's terrified about raising you on his own. You're all he has and he doesn't want to screw up anything. You're his son at the end of the day and nothing is going to change that. And as cheesy it sounds, he only wants what's best for you"

"He isn't the only one that lost her" Kyle said quietly, mostly to himself.

Cliona let out a breath and walked over to Kyle, taking his sweeping brush. "I'll tell you what, you go and talk to your dad. I mean _really_ talk. You have to do it sometime and it's better late than never. He's all you have left too. I'll cover for you"

Kyle was like a statue for a couple of minutes. "I didn't expect you to be so deep" he half smiled.

Cliona smiled back, "I'm shocked myself. Maybe it's just what happens when you turn eighteen"

Kyle could only nod before grabbing his jacket and his backpack as he headed out the door.

Cliona could only hope that she had said the right thing.

000

"Please no. Please don't" Cliona begged, making Damon walk into the room to see what was gong on, assuming the worst but only finding Cliona sitting by the fire with her phone.

"But why? I'm telling you that she's some sort of evil witch. Why can't she just leave us alone?" Cliona had a look of desperation on her face as she stared at the floor in front of her and then to the fire, still not noticing Damon's presence.

"Yeah but…it's my house too. So? Oh don't bother playing that card with me. There's a _huge_ difference….like the fact that you actually _like_ my mother….and that she'd stay at some hotel or something…she'd go explore the town for herself, not follow me to work so she can tell me how-"

Cliona looked shocked as, who Damon was guessing was Cordelia, interrupted her. He knew that he could easily listen in but he was finding it much more entertaining to just witness Cliona's end of the conversation, he found the faces she pulled quiet funny.

"Look, just do what you need to do, just make sure that that woman isn't anywhere near me…Of course I'm going, why? ... Are you serious? Ugh…well there should be a hell of a lot of people there so I'll just try to blend….oh haha very funny" Cliona pressed a button to end the call and looked back at the fire, a brooding look on her face. Damon found it as the perfect time to make his presence known.

"The serious face doesn't suit you, to be quiet honest" he smirked, taking a seat on the couch across from her.

"That hag is staying in town for longer because her stupid flight got cancelled"

"And I thought you liked staying here" Damon faked being wounded, making Cliona break out a small smile.

"You have an amazing house don't worry-"

"Oh no, not the 'its not you, its me' speech"

"Will you shut up and let me finish?"

Damon shut his mouth and waved his hand, allowing her to proceeding, mockingly.

"I came here to get away from people like that, and I got a house so that I could live in it, not her. I have work to do; I have my stuff in that house. I don't want her here anymore; I never wanted her here anyway. She just invites herself."

"And is Cordelia aware of this?"

"Cordelia knows that I don't like her mother, I've said it on more than one occasion and she agrees. But she won't fully...leave her mother, she is always there when she wants something from her and it pisses me off. Her own mother is using her and she can't see it! And even if she does, she just stays! If I can drop a parent then why can't she?"

"Well it's her mother I suppose. Your mother is meant to be your one best friend"

"But her mother was never her friend. She never comforted her and told her that everything was going to be okay. She never picked her up when she fell down and dusted her off and told her to try again. You know who did? Me! That woman is a succubus!"

"What do you mean by drop a parent?"

"It's nothing, Cordelia and I just have some things in common"

"What kinds of things?"

"Just...things"

Damon was itching to compel Cliona into telling him the whole story but he didn't want to. He had no problem in invading people's privacy, such as Stefan's journals, but he didn't want to interfere with this woman when she didn't want to be interfered with. Cliona sighed as she looked down at her phone and said, "They say that a girl is never supposed to be let down by her dad, and I was. So I know how Cordelia feels since she's being betrayed by her mother over and over again. She keeps looking for some hint of redemption in her mother, but even I know that's never going to happen."

"I know the feeling, although I suppose it's different for women, seeing as you're all...more emotional about this sort of stuff" Damon smirked over to her, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Seeing his smile, made a smile appear on Cliona's face as she looked back at him.

"So how was your day today?"

Cliona snorted at the question and gave Damon a look as if to say 'are you serious?'

Damon merely looked back and replied, "What, I haven't seen you since this morning, besides, as the owner of this house I need to know that you aren't some secret serial killer"

"I went to work, came back, that was it"

"Nothing interesting happened this week at all?"

"Nah...met Kyle's dad, he told me to beware of Cecile, whatever that was about..."

"What?" a look of seriousness crossed Damon's features as he sat up straighter.

"Yeah, she walked in and then walked out without saying a word, Ryan came into the shop to thank me for hiring Kyle, he seemed genuinely thankful."

Damon smirked, mostly to himself, as he thought everything over, a bit smug that Ryan had thanked Cliona after Damon himself had verbally attacked Cecile, when she wouldn't drop the subject of Cliona being a witch, and had said that Cliona had done an amazing thing in helping Kyle by hiring him. It was a nice feeling, knowing that he had been the cause of the one nice thing that had happened to the woman across from him, all week. "That was certainly nice of him"

"Odd though"

"You're seriously going to question it? In a town like this?"

"Touché"

"Any plans for the upcoming party?"

"There's another one?"

"Yup, very history proud place. They have lots of parties every year, they just love to celebrate"

"So then what? A house gets demolished or a rock is turned over and everyone celebrates, just like that?"

Damon chuckled at her analogy. It was true that the inhabitants of Mystic Falls held a lot of parties but Damon knew that with the right words, Cliona would attend, and might even enjoy it seeing as there would, after all, be alcohol to keep her amused.

"Well this party thing is on tomorrow"

"Is it early?"

"Around two o'clock"

"I was planning on not bothering to open the shop and having a lazy day" Cliona almost whined.

"Well you have to go"

"Why? I'm not even from here"

"So? You live here, and it might look suspicious, people might take it up the wrong way, your absence might insult them" Damon smirked over at Cliona, who responded by grabbing the nearest cushion and throwing it at him. "What? I was only making a point"

"Fine I'll go" Cliona mumbled into another cushion she had picked up and held to her face.

"That's the spirit"

"Where will you be?" Cliona asked, raising her head and looking at Damon.

"I'll be there, don't worry, if you want a ride the offer is there. I don't think you should drive seeing as you'd probably end up having a repeat of the last time"

"And that is?"

"You'll get drunk"

"I could say no to a drink if I had to, excuse you!"

"Right, keep telling yourself that"

"What, you think I have no self control?"

"Oh _please_ don't go there. I get enough of that from Stefan!"

"Wait...your brother's an alcoholic?" Cliona asked disbelievingly. Damon's head was back but his eyes widened and he looked at her after she had asked this question, obviously not expecting it. Cliona took this up differently and instead began to try and fix her mistake, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry...just didn't see that coming"

Damon smiled at her discomfort and decided to have some fun, "Its okay. You should know if you're going to stay here. He's had some trouble with his drinking habits for a good few years now. I've tried to help him. He's clean at the moment but who knows for how long?"

"Must be hard, taking care of him on your own and all"

"It is" Damon replied, trying to see how long he could play the sympathy card, which he was thoroughly enjoying. He watched as Cliona stood up and went over to the fire to throw another stick into it and sat down next to him, knowing that she had only used the fire as an excuse to sit beside him.

"I know that it's hard, trying to be there for a younger sibling on your own" Cliona said gently, holding his hand and squeezing it, "But it's something that you can always get through, as hard as it may seem at the best of times"

Damon hadn't expected her to say that. She had spoken about a parent leaving and not really speaking to her siblings, but this was certainly new to him. She seemed so sure, sounding like she had really been in the position that he was in. It was a comfort to him, as he looked into her eyes and saw her looking back at him, a small smile on her face. He knew that he wasn't alone. Damon could feel himself inching closer towards her, and closer. Her eyes half closed as she felt herself getting closer too, their noses were just touching each other, both of them in a silent trance, when the door flung open and Stefan walked in, causing Damon and Cliona to both jump apart, or in this case Cliona, seeing as Damon rather glare at his brother. He didn't regret telling Cliona that Stefan was an alcoholic after he had just interrupted them like that.

"I think I'll go to bed now, it's late and I have a busy day tomorrow"

Stefan, who was oblivious to what he had just done, nodded and said his goodnight, as Damon was left to glare at his younger brother, saying his goodnight too but not letting his eyes leave Stefan. And with that, Cliona went upstairs, not to be seen again until the morning.

000

That Friday morning, Cliona decided that she should go to work, but close up early and put up a 'closed for town function' sign up. It was odd not having Kyle around, as he was in school, but Cliona managed just fine. The work began to pile up, as she found new inventory which had just been delivered that needed to be accounted for, and stocked and priced with the price gun. The floor looked like it needed a good sweep and the windows still hadn't been cleaned since the shop had opened.

At midday, Cliona decided to close up the shop and go to see if her house was empty, so she could find something to wear for the party in two hours. The house seemed empty when she stepped inside, so Cliona rushed upstairs to her closet to see if she could find anything as quickly as possible in case it turned out that she wasn't alone. A dark green dress was the only thing that she could find which was suitable for the party, so she tried to dig around for a pair of shoes to go with it, only to find a pair of black heels with fake crystals on the straps. Cliona couldn't help but roll her eyes. She wasn't into fashion and shopping and the only person in the house that _was_, was also a shoe size smaller. Luckily the dress covered her feet and Cliona had some black coloured jewellery to add to the outfit. Grabbing her things, she rushed down the stairs, only to hear her name being called out, or rather, something similar "Oh Clodagh darling!"

"Cliona" Cliona corrected, trying not to do so through gritted teeth.

"Yes, that's what I said. I haven't seen you in age's darling, you haven't been around. I hope you haven't had a falling out with Cordelia."

"Oh no, just busy. Working over time, with the shop only being new and all. Lots of jobs need to be done"

"You work too much, gives you wrinkles you know. And here I was, thinking you were avoiding me"

"Me? Never!" Cliona replied, lying through her teeth. She wanted to get as far away from this woman as soon as possible. Cliona knew that Jean was practically the devil incarnate and she didn't want to be around her once she began firing off her insults and pretending that she didn't even notice their effects on people.

"Oh that's nice dear, so what rag to clean your car with have you come by to collect?"

"Those cheap ones you get, I hear that some people even turn them into dresses and outfits but you already know that since you're wearing one. I mustn't keep you waiting, blabbering on about things you already know about, see you later Jean" Cliona didn't even hesitate as she walked out of the house and towards her car. The image of a shocked Jean replaying in her mind. The picture brought a smug smile to Cliona's lips. The party should be fun and she had stood up to Jean by playing her at her own game, today was certainly going to be a pleasant one.

On the drive to the boarding house, where she was planning on getting changed, she couldn't help but let last nights events play over in her mind, as the thoughts as Jean began to fade. Was it wrong what she had done? Should she have said what she had said? Cliona hoped that she hadn't scared Damon off, especially as he was letting her crash at his house while the anti-Christ was there. And with that thought, Cliona began to worry some more.

She may have sorted Jean out for the moment, but everyone in town was attending the party and if Cliona had to go, that meant Cordelia had to go. And if Delia went, her mother would demand to know where she was going and would then proceed to... go too.

No, Cordelia would never allow it, she knew that Cliona would cover for her and make up an excuse saying that her mother was in town or something. Cliona wouldn't exactly be lying if she said that Jean was sick, because she was...in the head.

Cliona pulled up outside the house and walked in, finding the place empty. She walked up the stairs and went to get ready for the party, not knowing what to expect for the day.

000

The party started off just like the last one, with the long queues of people waiting to enter the Lockwood Mansion, the only difference being that this time Cliona had wound up going with Damon, almost like an unspoken date if you could even call it that. While waiting in line, nothing was said until they reached the steps, ironically behind the same couple as last time which gave Cliona de ja vu.

"Your friend hasn't arrived yet"

"She's probably not coming, with Jeans flight being cancelled"

"You don't think that Jean would show up? Pass up an opportunity to insult both of you in public?"

"If she tried that, I'd tell everyone that she was drunk, but that would only be after I publicly throttled her"

Damon chuckled at how serious Cliona looked as she kept her eyes ahead of her. "People might help you, if she tries her antics with the rest of them"

"Oh no, I know how this woman works. She will play the nice and perfect English woman that was well educated and brought up, and then she will try to publically humiliate her daughter. Because that is what bitches like her do"

"People like what do?" a voice came from behind the pair, causing them both to turn around to see Stefan and Elena, their arms linked and bright smiles on their faces.

"Stefan, what a pleasant surprise, what are you doing here?" Damon said, looking at his brother with an obvious fake smile upon his face to match Stefan's.

"Oh you know? Celebrating the town, with the town, and all that. Couldn't leave Elena without a date now could I?"

Elena, who Cliona recognized from the shop as the brunette, offered her hand to Cliona and said, "Hi I'm Elena, we haven't properly met" with a genuine smile on her face, her brown eyes sparkling.

"Cliona"

"Unusual name, you own the shop don't you? Around the town square?"

"Yup, Riot Next Door"

"Great name, I've seen you in there. You've got some cool stuff"

It was becoming obvious by now that Elena was struggling for things to say. Cliona didn't know whether to let her continue to struggle, which she found a little amusing, or if she should help her and say something else. Seeing as they weren't alone, she chose the latter. "I love your necklace. I kinda have a thing for silver jewellery"

"Thanks, Stefan gave it to me. You have very unusual earrings, they're cool"

"Damn, I forget to take those out"

"No leave them in. They go well with the dress, which totally matches your eyes by the way"

Cliona smiled in thanks, as the line moved forward. She had forgotten to take out her shark tooth earrings which were dangling from her ears, her curled brown hair barely concealing them.

"Well we better leave you kids alone before the girl talk begins to escalate." Damon interrupted as they reached the door, this time being welcomed by a caterer. Without a second thought, Cliona had been dragged away in another direction, to where what she suspected was the dining-room.

"Carol, you have the place looking stunning" Damon said to a woman with short brown hair and pearls around her neck. He was obviously acting in order to get into her good books, then again the woman didn't necessarily look like the type of person you could walk up to and hi-five and greet with a simple 'hey'.

"Damon, I'm glad you could make it. And who is this?" she asked, a little snootily for Cliona's taste as she eyed her up and down.

"This is Cliona Murphy, co-owner of Mystic Fall's first ever alternative shop" Damon embellished, making Cliona out to be some sort of god, making her want to roll her eyes at him. He can kneel on the floor and kiss my feet while he's at it, Cliona thought to herself.

"Oh hello, I'm Carol Lockwood, pleasure to finally meet you" Carol said, shaking Cliona's hand. Carol looked behind Cliona, her expression changing before she faced the pair and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm needed somewhere. Enjoy the party" and with that she was gone.

"What is this party even in celebration of anyway?" Cliona whispered.

"I have no idea"

"You should, you're from here"

"So?"

"So you should know!"

"Oh come on, you need a drink"

"And you need a slap but that doesn't mean you'll get one though"

Damon turned around and smirked down at her, "Why? You don't want to ruin my dashing good looks?"

"No Mr Ego, it's because I don't want to risk breaking your jaw. I need someone to entertain me while we're here"

"And here I was, thinking that you were beginning to like me"

"Oh don't get too ahead of yourself, I like you already. I wouldn't have agreed to stay at your place if I didn't. And where are you going? The bar is that way"

"I'm not the biggest fan of that bar" Damon replied, smelling the vervain coming from it. Sheriff Forbes was obviously intent in finding that new vampire. Damon led them outside by the wall which over looked the full extent of the Lockwood's back garden, which had been covered in fairy lights that would obviously be turned on when it got dark outside. Damon pulled out a small bottle of whiskey and took a sip before handing it to Cliona, who took some for herself.

"At least you came prepared" Cliona said, thinking about how he had had no problem with the bar at the last party.

"I'll have you know, that I'm always thinking ahead"

"I don't know why you bother. You never know what the future brings"

"But you have to admit, a safety net is handy"

"I'm not denying it. I'm just saying that the future can screw you up too"

Damon looked at Cliona and thought how it was ironic that there were people in this town that were accusing this woman of being a witch, when she was accusing Jean Graham of the exact same thing. People in this town just didn't like people with a brain. His father had never liked him because he had had the sense to leave town and now Cliona was being accused of witchcraft because she wasn't from the area and hadn't been raised with the same customs as the rest of them. This woman was a genius and everyone felt threatened by her and her differences, so they felt the need to put her out. And the worst part was that she was completely oblivious to it while it was going on underneath her very nose.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, noticing that Damon had been staring at her for a while.

"I'm thinking about how you are different to every other person in this town"

Cliona looked away as she felt a blush creep up her cheeks.

"How am I different?"

"Because you know you aren't perfect and you except that. You play people at their own game and you can actually say that you have some brains"

"No I can't"

"Yes you can"

"No"

"You have your own shop"

"The owners of all the others can say that too"

"See! You were smart enough to think up of that come back"

"Have you been drinking since before you came here?"

"Were you always this modest?"

"Excuse me"

Damon and Cliona looked up to see Ryan Sterling in a suit, looking down at them, "I'm sorry to interrupt but I was wondering if I could borrow Miss Murphy for a few minutes"

"Of course, I'll be right back" she said to Damon before getting up from the wall she had been sitting on and left to go inside with Ryan.

Damon watched them as they left. An unexpected pang of jealousy coursed through him. He had been talking to her first and he had even brought her here. What right did that guy have? And why was he feeling this way? Had he just made a fool of himself after what he had just said? I need a drink, Damon thought as he pulled out the whiskey bottle again.

Meanwhile, Cliona was dancing with Ryan among the rest of the guests.

"I wanted to thank you again, I know that I must be annoying you by now but...Kyle came to talk to me the other day and I just want to say that I really appreciate it. We both needed that. And I want you to know that I'm here still, if you need anything."

"You could tell me something"

"Anything"

"Why do I have to stay away from Cecile?"

**And I shall leave you with that lovely cliff hanger. My next update should hopefully me up before the end of next week. I have exams next week so...I'm not so certain about specific times.**

**Hope you liked the chapter.**

**Don't forget to review! Or at least Follow me on Facebook as CaptainSkitzoVamp, the link is on my page, or you could just click on Homepage over my Avatar.**

**Until next time.**

**Skitz ;)**


	6. Mind Control

**So here is that chapter that you've all been waiting for! Sorry for the delay, I'm just really busy but I might be taking a week off school soon. So here is the second part of the party and also you get to see some more Cecile, not too mention Cliona standing up to Jean again. Don't forget to review!**

"She...is the town gossip. Sometimes people like to believe her"

"Has she been saying something?"

"Well"

"Please, I need to know"

Ryan stayed quiet but looked down at his feet as they continued to waltz around the room before answering, "She has suspicions and theories, none of us are taking it seriously"

"So she is saying something. And she's after telling the whole town?"

"No, just a few of us, and we aren't even going to repeat it. I'm not even supposed to be telling you this"

"Who else knows?"

"Mostly just Carol Lockwood and the Sheriff"

"What has she been saying?" Cliona asked again, wanting to know what the two most important people in town had been hearing about her.

"That you're into witchcraft and all that junk"

"Seriously? Because I sell books and herbs? It's all gimmicks for the kids."

"I know that, and it's exactly what the response was. Cecile refuses to back down so she's probably going to begin poking around, knowing her. I just gave you the warning so you would be careful"

"What ever happened to 'If You Have Nothing Nice To Say Then Don't Say It At All?" Cliona said, mostly to herself.

Ryan chuckled quietly to himself, his chest shaking. A sad look came into his eyes as he replied, "My wife used to say that"

"And I see that it has rubbed off on Kyle. You raised him well"

"Sometimes I don't know"

"Trust me, you did a fantastic job. He isn't screwed up, trust me, I've witnessed screwed up. Kyle just got lost but he's finding himself again."

"I hope you're right"

"I am. You just need to walk a mile in his shoes. I know it isn't easy for you because you have work and bills and everything but Kyle has school, and that defines his future forever. School is a place where either you fit in or you don't. And Kyle isn't really fitting in and that's really tough, especially when you're going to be stuck there for the next few years. Losing his mother just set him off on a bit of a destructive path but he's back again and you have a chance to be there for him. Ten years from now you can be looking back on this with him and he could be married with kids. Everything will work out, just give it time. And now if you'll excuse me, I need to see if someone is here" Cliona finished her little speech with a small sigh before leaving a stunned Ryan behind in her wake.

Cliona was actually trying to see if she could find Damon anywhere but instead she felt a tug on her arm and turned around to see the son of the man she had just been talking to. "Hey, you came."

"Don't you remember what I told you the last time?"

"Oh yeah, the witch trial. I'll keep that in mind"

"Good choice" Cliona muttered, remembering what Ryan had just said.

"So would you be up for a dance? Lucy isn't here yet and we were supposed to be meeting up. And it saves me standing here like a dork, besides if she walks in and sees us dancing she won't jump to any conclusions like she would if I were dancing with some other girl"

"Okay"

Cliona was beginning to get a little impatient. She had to admit it to herself. But she couldn't say no to Kyle. It was nice knowing that she was helping a family after staying here only a couple of months. But it also felt weird dancing with a teenager, she felt like some sort of cougar as she was swung around with the younger guy in front of her, although she wasn't kidding when she said she would have dated him herself if she were younger. With everything Kyle had been through, Cliona was set on getting him together with Lucy. He deserved to be happy and it wasn't like his dad could follow him to school to stop him from feeling like an outsider, even though his dad would make him feel like even more of a loner.

"I saw you talking to my dad"

"Yeah, don't worry, nothing bad for you. So how did your own talk go?"

"We were at home and I admit that I didn't say everything but there are some things you just can't tell, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes"

"We spoke about mom and what she would say if she were here and stuff. I miss her and I get that dad misses her. It's just us now. I think that dad understood my side though, and I always understood everything from his point of view. But I want to say thanks boss, we wouldn't be at this content agreement if it weren't for you"

"No problem, but you know how you can pay me back?"

"How?"

"You can go talk to that girl over there and ask her to dance while I run off and try to find some guy my own age that I might get lucky with, 'kay?"

Kyle looked around to where Cliona had been looking and spotted Lucy in a knee length red dress and a small smile on her face. Kyle smiled at her and let go of Cliona, but not before looking back at her and saying, "You got it boss" before walking over to Lucy.

Cliona smiled smugly to herself as she went to the bar but remembered what Damon had said about how terrible the drinks were. The guy behind the bar was about to ask her what her order was when she felt another tug on her arm and turned around to see the man himself looking down at her with intensity in his blue eyes.

"Thirsty after a solid fifteen minutes of dancing?" he teased, but the seriousness not leaving his eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not that fit"

"Trust me, you're fit" Damon replied, the joking feeling finally reaching his eyes, making Cliona smirk and look at her shoes.

"You're not going to ask me to dance are you?"

"Actually I was going to ask if you wanted a drink, I've never actually met a woman who could keep up with my alcohol intake"

"Is that all we have going for us, seriously? Anyone else would think we're a bunch of AA members that are failing miserably"

"Well…it's fun…and we aren't addicts…and you only got drunk twice but in your defense I hadn't even drank that much and you needed to unwind. I've never personally owned a shop but I know that it has to be stressful. Especially when you've got a nutty blonde to co-own it with you and, not to mention, her anti-Christ mother is here."

"Why are you so right?"

"With age comes wisdom"

"Wisdom is knowledge and knowledge is power. But power corrupts. So let's be smart and be evil."

"Hmm world domination sounds like fun with you as my Queen. Now that sounds like just the thing I want to do with my future"

"First decree, no liquor laws"

"Oh yes, definitely…We should really make a list if we're going to follow through on those plans"

Cliona paused and let out a breath before looking at the ground and back at Damon, "Look at us, acting like a pair of teenagers" Damon had linked Cliona's arm through his own and was leading her back outside, where the sky had darkened and the fairy lights had finally been turned on.

"I'd say you were a fun teenager" Damon commented, looking over to the brunette as they sat on the stone wall. Cliona gave Damon a look as if to say 'are you serious?'

"No I wasn't. I had no social life. I locked myself away and only came out to play if I was going into town or meeting a friend who was visiting from another country"

"And your parents were alright with that?"

"They gave up on me. I was a lost cause. When I was younger there would be a day when every door would be opened and my parents would clean the entire house, now I mean completely gut it. And we would all be shooed from the house but I always stuck around and sat outside on the front step of the house. I never really clicked with anyone around the place. But it's okay though because you're supposed to screw up on the first child. We're the prototypes. But I'm glad I didn't fit in because none of the others my age turned out to lead a successful life. Oh God, now you think I'm one of those women who are married to their career"

"No but, it did sound a little like that"

"Well I'm sorry but your career isn't going to wake up one morning and say it doesn't love you anymore. And I admit it. I'm terrified of rejection."

"I know. I get that feeling sometimes" Damon said, quoting her from when she had spoken with Kyle which made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. His joking façade had vanished and had been replaced by a serious sorrowful look on his face. "I was in a relationship once. I thought she loved me because I was certain that I loved her. I did everything she asked, I would have killed if she wanted me to. And then she faked her death and I mourned her for years, only to find out that she was alive and had avoided me all that time. She came back after a while because she wanted something and then she said she loved someone else"

"What a bitch" Cliona remarked, looking straight ahead of her.

"Yeah well, I just know the feeling. I admit that I lie sometimes but I'd never do something like that. I'd never hurt the person I loved for that"

Cliona looked at him gently and could practically feel the gravitational-like pull that was making her lean closer to the man beside her. She could sense how he was moving forward too, seeing as her eyes had slowly half closed. It was like electricity when they got so close that they could feel each others breathing, so intimate. Cliona could feel as Damon's lips brushed against hers and she couldn't help but kiss him back. She knew that she was safe around him, even though she knew that a dark side existed, that bit was obvious. The kiss would have deepened, both of them knew it. Only for a voice called out and broke them apart. Neither of them knew whether to be happy or annoyed that they had been interrupted. Usually Cliona would have pulled back out of embarrassment at the fact that there were other people present but she didn't care. She felt like she could do what ever she wanted when Damon was around. It was like that moment when you were coming out of a deep sleep and you were half asleep but half awake and it's like every idea that you have is brilliant and will definitely work. You feel like you can do anything. Almost as if you were on Cloud Nine.

Cliona smirked at the man beside her and turned to see Cordelia waving at her and walking over. She was half way there when she turned around and Cliona saw another blonde moving towards her, making Cliona groan in frustration. "Why did she have to come along?"

"You didn't expect her to?"

"I don't want that woman anywhere near me, I want to go. This was a bad idea. She'll embarrass everyone. What if she gets talking to that Lockwood woman? What if she says the wrong thing? Oh who am I kidding she _always_ says the wrong thing!" Cliona whispered quickly, on the verge of losing the plot.

"Come on" Damon pulled Cliona by the hand and yanked her away from the wall and down the steps, leading them into the garden and towards the out-door dance floor where the fairy lights were glittering above them.

"Nut Job probably couldn't get out of it. She had to come along for reputational reasons and for the shop and her mother would want to know why she was dressed up and I think she probably would have received one hell of an ear full from her mother if she told her that she was going on a date"

"Stop knowing everything. Now I feel really in superior and I don't need that right now"

"What happened to the woman who was saying that I needed a slap earlier?"

"She drowned herself away in your whiskey flask"

Damon chucked lightly as he pulled Cliona towards him and wrapped his arms around her as the music played. Cliona rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, beginning to calm down. She had been so preoccupied by the woman she hated that she had completely brushed aside the fact that she had been kissed by the guy that she was dancing with. That made her feel a little horrible. The guy probably felt unimportant. But what was that kiss anyway? Was it a drunken one? Was it sincere? Was it a one off? Was it one of those feel better kisses? Or did he actually like her and wanted to start up some sort of relationship? She had drank a bit but not enough to make her tipsy so if anything went wrong she could blame it on the alcohol but she knew that she had to do something, so she looked up at the man in front of her and kissed him before pulling back and saying "Thank you, for everything. I'm pretty sure I'd be in pieces if it weren't for you or, at least, living out of my car. And you're right about her turning up. Delia said that she might be coming along. I shouldn't get so worked up so I'm not going to think about them for the rest of the night. I know that I'm probably annoying you with all my problems"

"It's healthy to vent, as annoying as it may get sometimes"

"I admire the blunt honesty" Cliona smirked, her head tilting to the side, her eyes glittering under the fairy lights.

"You're probably the first person to"

"It's better than stabbing someone in the back, if someone didn't like me I'd rather they say it to my face instead of beat around the bush about it and act completely just like…" Cliona stopped herself before she could say the name. "Sorry, I almost said it but I didn't"

"Its amazing how one person can annoy you so much"

"I'm pretty sure that there are people that you'd love to strangle"

"Oh trust me, I'd rip their throat out" Damon smirked as he spun Cliona around and pulled her back to him as they swayed back and forth. Cliona sighed in contentment as she leaned her head against Damon's chest again and closed her eyes. It was relaxing and she felt she needed it. Things had gotten so hectic and the shop was really beginning to pick up now. Pretty soon there would be more people working alongside Kyle, perhaps she could promote him. She stopped herself; she wasn't allowed to think about work right now, this was her night off. She really must be married to her work. I need to learn to separate my personal and working lives, she thought, that's going to be really hard in a place as small as this.

"Oh there you are, thank God. Have you seen Cordelia anywhere? I've been looking for her for ages. Last I saw her she was talking to some man after you disappeared and then I went to look for her and she was gone." Jeans shrill voice broke through the tranquility between the other two. Cliona sighed and looked over to Jean, anger laced in her voice.

"I don't know Jean. She's a big girl. She can handle herself. It's not unusual behavior, you'll be nagging at her in the morning so go and torment someone else for a change hm?"

Cliona could feel eyes on her as she spoke the truth the Jean, who seemed taken aback.

"Well…you're just…"

"What?"

Jean didn't even try to structure a coherent sentence and instead walked off, her heels clicking against the wood of the make-shift dance floor, leaving Damon and Cliona, along with another few onlookers, watching her as she stormed up the steps and into the house.

Damon looked down at Cliona and smirked, "Well played"

000

Cliona took her shoes off the moment she walked into the hallway of the Salvatore Boarding House. She knew that Jean would be gone soon, which had her anticipating the feel of comfort in her own bed again. It was a little odd to her that she was staying with Damon and _then_ kissed him...or rather he kissed her….or one of them met the other halfway, she didn't know and she didn't want to think about it. It happened and she was happy. The end. She collapsed onto the sofa as the man she was thinking about poured himself some whiskey and took a seat beside her, not saying a word. She smiled at the ceiling before turning to him, "I bet you're really funny when you're drunk"

"Please, if I were drunk, you'd be passed out on the floor"

"Is that a dare?"

"No, just a fact." Damon replied simply, taking another sip of whiskey.

"I know I said that I wouldn't bring it up but…do you think Cordelia is okay? I just have this feeling that something isn't right…I don't know. I'm probably just being paranoid"

"Drink can do that to you"

"Shut up"

Damon turned to her and chuckled before turning back to the fire, which was somehow lighting seeing as they just got back from the party.

"I'm surprised this town doesn't have a huge number of alcoholics seeing as you all have a party almost…every fortnight"

"This town never ceases to amaze me, as boring as it may be"

"Did you ever leave? Ever travel? I mean, I grew up in a place like this and I can say that I've seen New York and the big cities"

"I've traveled…I liked New York but it wasn't a place where I could stay, too many people"

"Where else did you go?"

"Everywhere"

"When did you come back here?"

"Around last year. I had to make sure that Stefan stayed out of trouble."

Cliona sighed in agreement, a smile on her face "I know the feeling, my younger brother liked to test his boundaries…a lot"

"Sometimes it's a good thing to test them, but when you suck at it, you need to be watched"

"Exactly" Cliona agreed. "Now, if you don't mind. I think that I'll hit the hay. And I have work soon, things are beginning to pick up, I might have to start hiring soon"

"Oh, interviews. How fun"

"You want a job?" Cliona teased, standing the stretching.

"Haha, good one. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night"

"Good night"

000

"It's coming darling, its coming"

The sound of the three cats echoed throughout the kitchen that looked as if it hadn't been decorated since the fifties. The pink cupboards and the black and white tiled floors were shining, not a mark could be found. A vase of daisies sat on the table, between the placemats that had been sent from relatives in Spain, showing the sandy beaches and clear blue waters.

Cecile bent down and emptied the contents of the tin into the cats dish, all three of them rushing over and sticking their heads in the bowl before the tin was even emptied. The sounds of their purring made Cecile smile at them, probably the only time that she would ever genuinely smile was when no one else was around, and the smile was aimed at cats that wouldn't even look back at her, too engrossed with their food.

Cecile was a single woman, runner up for Miss Mystic Falls back in her day, but never married. With age had come extra pounds and reading glasses that always hung around her neck. Her upbringing had been as the younger of two children. Her older brother, Dennis, was happily married and living in Europe with his wife Molly and their three children. Although one of the children had already left the nest, studying in England to be a doctor. Anthony, the youngest, was studying for his exams this year. This would be his first time sitting a state examination. And then in another two years he would have another, or however the curriculum was over there. Personally, Cecile thought that it was a load of rubbish.

Cecile's parents had been strictly religious and always told her about how wrong it was to side with evil. How evil could be manifested in evil deeds, which could be forgiven, but others would have to have to be stopped. Witches were evil, anyone that practiced magic was an evildoer because only God was allowed to wield any sort of supernatural power on this Earth.

That was why that Cliona woman had to be stopped. Everyone thought that she was lovely but Cecile could see right through her. Her parents had been on the Founders Council and now she had taken their place.

Cecile had been looking into those things that she had seen at that awful new shop, where she was also beginning to see more and more customers, most of them teenagers. That shop was destroying the children's minds. It was poison! Cecile wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of spell or curse on the building itself. That was why she had gone into the shop to subtly investigate and see if there were any symbols painted on the walls or anything out of the usual, but then she had seen Ryan there. Ryan would have told the council. Cecile doubted that any of the members would have told Cliona about Cecile's suspicions but when she had seen Ryan with her again tonight at that party, Cecile knew not to take any chances.

And then that Jean woman was crying all of a sudden. Well there had been no tears but she was still determined on finding her daughter, who had gone missing. Poor thing. The daughter that was also Cliona's business partner and housemate had disappeared and Cecile bet that the nice young blonde woman had seen something she wasn't supposed to, or somehow got on Cliona's bad side and had to be disposed of. That Cliona woman was just as bad as those God awful vampires, if not worse.

And the worst part was that they all accepted her, they all welcomed her. That was only going to make polluting Mystic Falls easier for her. The sooner she was stopped the better. She should be burned, shot, held under water. Anything. But Cecile needed evidence. She needed to prove that Cliona was up to something and bring it to the council.

"What kind of name is Cliona anyway?" Cecile said to the cats, looking down with a look of disgust on her face. "Who does she think she is? She isn't going to fool me. I stick by what I said. I'm going to make them all see it. She has them all blindfolded and I'm going to remove those blindfolds"

Cecile went over to the sink and looked out the window, into the cold dark night, "Whether it's the last thing I do"

Cecile was wondering what that unwelcome little witch was doing now? Was she making some sort of a potion to poison Carol Lockwood? Did she have Damon under some sort of mind control? Was that the reason that she was staying with him? What was going to happen to that Jean woman now that she was looking for her missing daughter? Cliona would probably dispose of her next, which meant that she was going to be Cecile's lead. She was going to help her catch Cliona in the act. All Cecile needed to do now was to befriend Jean. Perhaps invite her to dinner. Jean didn't seem to be treated nicely by Cliona at the party when she had asked Cliona is she had seen her daughter, so perhaps the dinner discussion could be about how Cliona is such a terrible person, if she even is a person. Either Damon must be blind or under some sort of spell. Cecile would be helping him too by getting rid of Cliona, once and for all. Saturday would be best to host a dinner. All she needed to do now was to find Jean.

000

Stefan was walking through the door just as Cliona was turning off her beside lamp upstairs which Damon could hear.

"Well well, did someone get lucky tonight?" he teased as his younger brother walked into the room, a frown on his face. "Oh come on, it couldn't have been that bad, I'm sure Elena must have enjoyed it"

"This isn't funny Damon. Something happened"

"Yeah I know…I'm sure it will be the big gossip between Elena's little circle of girly friends in the morning" Damon replied before taking another sip of whiskey and turning around to stand by the fire.

"A girl is dead Damon"

"Do they know who she is?" came the response, the vampire with the whiskey turned around to face his brother.

"Her name was Yvonne. That's all I know, Jeremy knew her. She was found at the side of the road by the woods. Whoever is out there doing this has to be stopped soon, before someone else dies. I've given Elena some more vervain to give out, but that's not going to be enough. The entire town should have it in their system by now with all of these parties. It's even been put in the food at the Grill. I can't think of anyone without it now. But that girl didn't have it in her system and it cost her, her life. You need to ask Sheriff Forbes if she's got any leads in the morning"

Damon looked back at the fire, his empty hand leaning against the mantle. He hadn't given Cliona any vervain; he had stopped her from going to the bar. But she was safe with him, she was in the house and even though Stefan hardly knew her, he'd still protect her. Then again, if he didn't protect her he knew that his older brother would kill him. He had to ask the council what they knew in the morning. Damon knew that something was up the moment that Cliona had told him about the man that had attacked her friend. This had also been one of the main reasons that he had invited her to stay with him in the first place since Jean arrived. That guy could have tried to get to Cliona and Damon was just beginning to enjoy her company at the time. Falling for her had just been some sort of bonus. But Cordelia seemed like one of those people who'd go with different guys for fun. Just like she'd gone with that guy at the party… and wasn't seen.

"I think I might have a lead"

"What? Who?"

"Jean"

"Who?"

"That blonde chick who had that temper tantrum at the party. She said that the other blonde had gone off with some guy and she couldn't find her. But this is the same woman who was attacked before. I'd bet you anything that she left with our guy"

"Okay, so we ask her about what she saw or what he looks like, at least"

"Hopefully she has vervain in her system too. We don't need anyone tampering with her mind and erasing anything"

"Or putting the image in her head in the first place. Damon, be careful"

"Aren't I always" Damon smirked back, almost taunting his brother.

"I'm serious. Don't do anything impulsive. This like a very dangerous game of cat and mouse. We can't make any sudden movements or they'll know that we're on to them"

"Fine, but they're all asleep now so we have to wait until morning."

"In the mean time I suggest you get vervain to Cliona .I know that she doesn't have it on her and she needs it to stay safe"

"She's fine. She's got me watching her"

"What if you have to fight someone or get called away? What about when you have to question Jean or if it risks her finding out about us. What then?"

"She won't. I've got it covered" Damon was beginning to feel a little insulted. Was Stefan saying that he was incapable of taking care of someone?

"What if you don't? It only takes once Damon. We can't afford to have anyone else attacked or killed over this"

"I said I've got it covered!"

"She's going back to her own place soon. You can't watch her forever. You have to give her vervain or something because if her friend really is under this guys thumb he could have already received and invitation into the house. You'll never be able to watch her twenty four hours a day and if she saw you, you'd scare her off. She'd want her own space Damon."

"Oh yeah. Watch me"

"But she'd need it anyway! What if someone came along, other than this mystery vampire? What then?"

"Who'd come along? Who could possibly want to go after her?" Damon hated listening to this, even though he knew that it was the truth.

"Oh I don't know, people like me?" came a low, flirtatious voice. Damon and Stefan turned around to see the curly haired brunette, which they always dreaded to see in Mystic Falls, with a smirk on her face. "Hey boys"

"Katherine"

**OH MY GOD KATHERINE IS BACK! So has anyone seen the latest episode? I'm seriously thinking of shipping Klaus/Caroline. Although I'd never be able to write it… I'd be terrified of screwing up their characters, at least with Damon you can keep the sarcasm and wit. Klaus is way too complex**

**So I hope that you liked the chapter!**

**Review!**

**Skitz ;)**

**p.s If any of you watch American Horror Story, I have a One-Shot on my page.**

**And for any of you new readers, you can find my Facebook through my fanfiction page or by clicking 'Homepage' above my avatar.**

**3**


	7. What the Water Gave Me

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! I'm not going to give you excuses and grovel. So in this chapter you have some more of Jean being annoying and some Damon comfort. Oh a little bit of Katherine is thrown in, and two of the most hated characters meeting up.  
>Enjoy ;)<strong>

_Lay me down._

_Let the only sound_

_Be the overflow_

_Pockets full of stones_

_~What the Water Gave Me_

_~Florence + the Machine_

Cecile hadn't said a word. It was beginning to make the rest of the members a little nervous. Cecile never bit her tongue, so the fact that she was doing so now could only mean that she was planning something. The odd thing about it, if an outsider were to witness this they'd be oblivious, was that instead of staring at Cecile, the rest of the people were staring at Damon every now and again. It hadn't been a secret, or at least they hadn't tried to hide it, when everyone had witnessed what had gone on between the Founding Member and the Shop Owner.

Seeing as everyone now knew what was going on between the two of them, they had totally blocked out Cecile's ideas of witchcraft. The Council knew Damon well enough to know that he wasn't stupid. If he trusted Cliona, then the rest would follow his lead. She didn't seem like a bad person anyway, just a little odd. But weren't they all odd, in their own way? She was from an entirely different background to the rest of them, so who were they to judge?

"So it has come to our attention that a Jean Graham may have seen our mystery vampire. It has also come to our attention that her daughter Cordelia is missing. Sherriff?"

"Usually we have to wait 48 hours before calling the search" Sheriff Forbes began, looking at everyone at the table, "But given the latest circumstances it's safe to say that we are viewing her as a missing person but not yet making this public. Miss Graham may turn up within the next 48 hours. She could be under a compulsion and this vampire could be trying to keep a low profile, why, we don't know yet. But what we do know is that they must know that we are on to them after the party, although no attacks were reported he seemed to go with the only one that didn't have vervain in their system. We know this because no one actually saw Miss Graham drink anything"

"Did anyone see her talking to anyone?" Ryan asked from across the table.

"We asked Jean a few questions this morning. She said that she was talking to a blonde man a little taller then her. She also mentioned something about a tattoo on his wrist so that should help us distinguish him. We still have a few names on the suspect list. Women have remained on it, just in case this guy has a partner in crime. These people on the list are only the people that turned up at the party after the sun set."

Damon looked around the room with images of Katherine floating around inside his head. She had to have something to do with this. She was capable, but then again, she wasn't usually sloppy and she knew only all too well about the Founders. She knew that there were humans in this town that knew about their existence.

"Any lead on the blonde guy?" someone broke Damon out of his reverie. He looked back to the Sheriff, waiting for her answer. She looked tired as she let her gaze go down to her , which were on the table, before looking up to Carol at the head of the table.

"The search is ongoing. Once we find another lead, you will be informed immediately."

"Alright" Carol sighed before plastering a smile onto her face and aiming it at everyone. "I think that's enough for today's meeting. I hope you all have a good day"

The sound of chairs scraping against wooden floors could be heard as the members rose and left the room. No one said a word as they departed, each of their heads stuck in the latest Mystic Falls Mystery. Everyone except for Cecile that is, who was sarcastically thinking about how they could get Cliona to use some witchy magic to track Cordelia down, even though she also thought that Cordelia was being hidden away by Cliona.

* * *

><p>Business had been booming all day and things had just begun to calm down, finally. Kyle was obviously tired. He was sweeping up while Cliona counted the money and locked up the till for the night.<p>

"Kyle?" Cliona called from the till, moving her eyes up to see the working teenager. He looked back at her, letting her know that he was listening to her. "What would you say to having a new co-worker?"

"I don't know. Depends who it is, I guess" Kyle stopped and leaned against the sweeping brush. His eyes wandered and landed on the window. Cliona looked out too but saw nothing. Kyle was in a rather pensive mood today, she thought.

"Well we would have to have interviews, and you'd be promoted to assistant manager so you would have to be there too and help ask, and come up with, questions to ask the people. There might even be a raise in it for you"

"I'm in!" Kyle grinned, coming out of his thoughts and looking at Cliona with a gleam in his eyes.

"Great" Cliona went back to locking up the till and taking care of the books. This was usually her favourite part of the evening. She loved the hustle and bustle in the afternoons and talking to the customers, but the afternoon was calming and exciting all at once. There was no hurry and she was looking forward to a warm fire and some good television or a book, perhaps even to go to the Grill for a drink.

"So you and that Salvatore guy, huh?"

This time it was Kyle that was pulling Cliona out of her thoughts. Cliona turned around to face him, refusing to blush. If there was one thing she knew, it was that when a person blushes they will have fun poked at them and she didn't like fun being poked at her, especially by a teenage employee.

"Maybe"

"Oh please, everyone saw you. And I spoke to you that night; you weren't even drunk…or _that_ drunk"

"God, I wonder what Cordelia'd say."

"Yeah any updates on her?"

"Watcha mean?"

"Well, she's missing. Everyone's talking about it. They feel sorry for you, running this place on your own. Cecile thought you were a witch and that you were hiding her in the basement or something"

"That's preposterous…I don't have a basement"

Kyle laughed at Cliona's response and she smiled back at his reaction, "But seriously, she's not missing. She does this all the time. This time next week we will be arguing with her and she will be telling stories about some guy she came across and had spent a few days with before telling him that it wasn't working out or something. You know the way she carries on. I've known her for years. I think I'd know if my friend was missing" came the reply, as Cliona ran her finger over her almost fully healed hand. It was the mark she had found on her hand after she woke up with a dreadful hangover, the day after the first party at the Lockwood Mansion. She still wondered how she'd done it to herself, at least the next wound she'd gotten had been when she was sober and could remember cutting those peppers with Damon. He had acted rather oddly actually.

"I'll put an advert in the paper saying that we need help in the shop, and wait for Cordelia to find out and scream at me. I might make her work for the week, to show everyone that she's alive and well."

"I like the way you think boss, hey do you mind if I go a bit early today though? I hate to ask on such short notice but I've told someone I'd meet up with them soon"

"No problem. I've got this covered anyway"

"Thanks"

Kyle grinned before going out back to retrieve his jacket and backpack. He almost ran out of the shop, not even turning back to give Cliona his usual wave. She didn't mind though. She could tell from the smile on his face that he was probably about to see Lucy.

The bell over the door rang as Cliona tried to suppress a laugh, only leaving a smile on her face and directing it at her next customer.

"Oh hey Elena, you're lucky you caught me when you did. I'm just about to close up"

The same olive skinned brunette that Cliona had spoken to at the party walked into the shop but something in her eyes seemed a little different, as if they were darker or more confident. It was as if they were full of malice. Her hair was curled, which Cliona hadn't seen on her before, and she was dressed all in black, instead of Elena's usual jeans and long sleeved top and silver necklace.

"Hi Cliona" she almost purred, "How is the shop going?"

"Not as busy as I'd thought it would be today but I think it's a party day amongst the teens today. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you've got a certain herb here actually. I'm trying this herbal tea thing, it's meant to help with pores and…stuff"

"Can you give me a name for this mystery herb?"

"Vervain?"

"I don't think I do but I'm sure I could try to track some down for you. It can't be that hard to find. You can give me your number and I can call you when it's in or something"

"No, that's fine. I have other stuff at home. Bye"

Elena walked out of the room without another word, leaving Cliona behind to watch her through the window as she crossed the street outside. Now that was strange, Cliona thought to herself, I may have only met Elena once but I know she wouldn't be like that. She must have an evil twin or something, or a split personality perhaps. Damon will know, his brother is dating her after all, and he went to college.

Something just didn't seem right. Cliona debated over whether or not to go and check the Grill and talk to Damon about it, but she knew that she couldn't leave the shop and she didn't want to call him about it, she rather say it to him face to face.

Cliona was holding her phone and looking at it, wondering if she should call when the bell over the door jangled again, this time signaling a person she didn't want to see at all and would have avoided if possible. Jean Graham walked into the shop. Cliona couldn't help but feel a little smug though, she was showing Jean that she worked the shop and was responsible; nothing would stop her from fulfilling her duties or tear her down. Cliona wasn't expecting the smile on Jeans face though.

"You found Cordelia?" she asked the older woman, who was walking towards the counter. A sense of relief washed over Cliona, thank God she was safe, thank God-.

"No"

"What?" Cliona responded, almost snapping.

"My daughter is still missing. But I was invited to a dinner" Jean said smugly, pulling her handbag up her shoulder and looking delighted with herself.

"You complain to everyone that you're daughter is missing and then go to a dinner? Make up your mind! Are you a mother or a cow?"

"How dare you speak to me-"

"No! This is my shop you're standing in so I can speak to you whatever way I like. I can bar you from stepping foot inside my establishment. Now you listen to me. I've been forced to put up with you for far too long. I've seen you treat your own daughter like a piece of gum at the end of your shoe and push her down, and I've had to watch as she crawled back to you like a little lost puppy. Do you know what her favourite colour is? Do you know the country she wants to visit next? Or the name of her college? Or what scares her the most? No you can't. So either you step up and act like a mother or you get out of Mystic Falls and go home because I swear, if you don't, I can do a hell of a lot worse to you"

Jeans eyes had widened, reminding Cliona that she had never actually seen a tear fall from the other woman's eyes. She had heard her cry and make noises alright, but she'd never seen a legitimate tear fall.

"Well, I've never come across someone like you before. I'll have you know I've raised my girl to be a lady!" and with that, Jean stormed out of the shop, slamming the door closed behind her.

A lady that likes to disappear with lots of strange men, Cliona thought. She felt guilty for thinking that about her friend. But she couldn't blame her. She'd probably seen Jean do it, when she was growing up as a child.

Cliona wasn't going to think about these things right now. In fact, she thought that she owed herself a break and decided to close up the shop, which she had originally been in the process of doing anyway. She turned the sign on the door and locked up, before grabbing her things and walking across the street and the centre of the town square, heading to the Grill. If Damon was there, it was just a bonus.

Unfortunately she wasn't there.

She ordered herself a coke, as she sat on a bar stool, trying to think back on her day and blank out the bits where Jean was involved, the disappointment eating away at her. Cliona was beginning to worry about Cordelia now, she would have at least called by now, even if it was to argue or lie about where she was, which wasn't that often, she usually told the truth, as disgusting as it sometimes turned out to be. The day was just a melancholic one. Nothing was going right and she felt a little lonely. What was she thinking when she came here? She'd always known that she would have her own life and that Cordelia would too, but she never thought that it would end up like this. The whole thing just made Cliona want to cry. She could feel her throat tighten and her eyes become all moist, knowing that if she spoke, she'd definitely break down and end up sobbing in the middle of the bar.

No. She wouldn't give in. She wouldn't cry in public or at a bar. She wouldn't lower herself. People would see and the word would spread and then Cecile would be delighted with herself. The rumors didn't even affect her because she knew that no one believed them, but she missed Cordelia and she was worried for her and she wanted her house back. She wanted Jean to be gone. She was beginning to miss home and her family, even though she didn't talk to them a lot. She wished that she was a teenager again, thinking that she knew everything and planning out her future within the confines of her little bubble which shielded her from reality, jobs, bills, backstabbing adults.

Why had she agreed to move here?

"Hey stranger, what's the matter? Hey, hey c'mere" she heard a familiar voice beside her, feeling Damon pull her to him and put his arms around her.

"I can't do this anymore. I'm not strong enough. I shouldn't have ever come here. Cordelia's missing, Jean doesn't care. I'm the only one that cares, and I'm being suspected of hiding her. I can't do it all on my own. I miss her, what if something's happened. What if she's lying dead in a ditch somewhere? Oh God, I'm such a terrible person for even thinking that."

"Hey, don't say that. You're not a terrible person. You're just under a lot of pressure, you're putting too much of a burden on your shoulders. I'm sure your friend is fine, she might call you tonight. Don't allow yourself to get all worked up over nothing. As long as you know you didn't do anything, no one else matters. I know you didn't do anything, because you were with me the entire time. Which is an entirely different rumor in itself" Damon winked at her as he let her go.

Cliona giggled. "Thank you"

"Any time"

"I suppose the day isn't _all_ bad, I mean, I kinda lashed out at Jean today when she came into say she was invited to a dinner. That reminds me, is Elena like….bipolar or something?"

"Not that I know of, why do you ask" Damon asked, immediately ready for what was about to be said. He had been hoping that Cliona wouldn't be running into Katherine since she returned to Mystic Falls.

"Well, she came in today, wanting to know about some sort of herb I've never heard for before and when I asked her if she wanted me to order it for her, she just practically ran out the door. And she was dressed differently, compared to what I usually see her wear. She even spoke…a little differently. I don't know. I'm probably just acting weird today. Don't mind me"

"Was her hair curled?"

"Yes?"

"Oh…her friend likes to cook and they like using odd herbs"

"She said it was for tea"

Damon stopped in his tracks and just smirked, not liking the fact that Cliona was beginning to catch him out. "Well, they make herbal tea too" That's when a thought struck Damon, "They particularly like this tea called Vervain Tea, some beauty remedy."

"That's the herb she was looking for"

_Damn_

"Well, Stefan is big into botany stuff. She probably got it from him in the end. That's my little brother, doing all the boring stuff and somehow getting a girlfriend"

"Well you sit here, the cool older brother, drinking at bars, chatting up the new comers and reading vampire novels. So much better"

"Well you still speak to me, so I've got to be doing something right" Damon smirked cheekily, taking a sip from his glass that had materialized while Cliona had been curled into his shoulder. "I've actually got something for you too" he added, reaching into his pocket and sliding a little black box over to Cliona.

"Why Mr. Salvatore, I do believe that you are rushing into things a little too quickly" Cliona joked, looking down at the box and back to Damon, who just shrugged in response and took another sip.

"Just open the box, smart ass"

Cliona grinned back at him and pulled out an aged looking silver ring. The carvings were intricate and beautiful. It actually looked a little bit like a locket. "Hey does this open?"

"Yeah, but don't. There's this herb in it for good luck, and I guessed you needed it. Turned out I was right" Damon replied, placing his glass down and thinking about how Cliona would need it now that Katherine was back in town. Damn I hate it when Stefan is right, he couldn't help but think.

Cliona pulled it out of the box and placed it on one of her fingers on her right hand, delighted that someone had given her a lucky ring, hoping that it would mean that Cordelia would be found and finding a different meaning behind Damon's words. "I love it. Thank you"

She thought about how she would never take off the ring. Both of them hadn't brought up the subject of the kiss at the party, but she still felt the urge to keep the ring on her at all times.

"I remembered you saying something about silver jewelry, and from what I saw of your house, you don't seem to be into the modern stuff either."

"You're starting to get to know me too well. Should I be afraid?"

"You kidding me?...You should be running for the hills"

Cliona laughed in response. They day was finally beginning to look up for her. Why hadn't she just called him when she was in the shop? "I really appreciate this. There aren't enough guys like you around"

"Well that's a first, usually people say there are too many, and that's a bad thing"

"Well those people are idiots. I really mean it. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. I'd probably be a loner that sleeps in her car. I might have even left town." Cliona argued on his behalf. Damon frowned in contemplation; trying to imagine what life would be like if Cliona hadn't met him. He'd be on his own, and there would be no missing person's case with that blonde chick. He wondered if the vampire and Katherine would have come to Mystic Falls anyway. He only knew that the vampire they were after wasn't Katherine because he knew that the vampire was blonde, to mention a guy, and the original story of Cordelia being attack by some strange guy just fit the bill. Then again Katherine could be in league with him, Damon couldn't exactly put that past her.

* * *

><p>"I always knew that she was a bad egg from the first moment I met her"<p>

"Trust me. People like that always wind up sick in the head. I just hope that she hasn't done anything to my little girl"

"You poor woman. I can't say I'd know what it's like. I don't have any children"

"Weren't you ever married?"

"No. I loved a man once" Cecile replied in a dramatic voice. "But he had to leave, when he tried to return he became ill…I never heard of him again after that. I always just thought that he'd died"

"And you never tried to look for him?" Jean asked sympathetically, while she was really wondering how a woman like Cecile had ever managed to snag a man, looking like that.

"No. It would be too painful. We met when we were seventeen. He worked at his father's gas station and I was in the Miss Mystic Falls beauty pageant."

"My Cordelia used to be in pageants when she was younger. She was a chubby child but she always won the judges over. She had all the trophies. I used to love putting on her make up and dressing her up in her little outfits. Now that little girl is gone, and poisoned, by that witch in that shop."

"So you agree? She stirs up potions and casts spells?"

"I wouldn't put it past her. She was always an odd one as a child. She never left her house, and whenever she did she was always really quiet. I don't know how my daughter ever got mixed up with her; I raised my daughter well and proper. She was probably manipulated. And now look at her? She's missing. That witch let her get taken and she's not doing a thing about it, she just carried on running that shop and drinking and she doesn't even go back to the house. She probably doesn't want to face me. She knows that I'll give her a piece of my mind. She'd see all of Cordelia's things and feel guilty."

"Like I said, I always knew she was a bad egg. Have you seen what she sells in that shop, and all of those kids, poor things don't understand. She's spreading her poison around this peaceful little town. And I'll tell you something else. All of those animal attacks began when she got here. I'd say she brought something with her. The girls had a fight before you got here, maybe your daughter found out about it and Cliona tried…" Cecile didn't continue. She could tell Jean that her daughter had probably been murdered.

"Have you got any other children?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"A son older than Cordelia. My pride and joy. He's a lawyer now, married with no kids. His wife is lovely, very elegant, but they're always going on holiday or working. They never have any time for me. All Cordelia did was open a weird shop, co-owned, of all things. She could make time for me, but did she? No. She ran off, after I come here, all the way from home."

So Jean was still in denial. She thought that her daughter had run away, and from her of all people. That poor woman, Cecile thought, she still doesn't know.

"I just hope my grandchildren don't turn out like that, and God only knows what her children will turn out like, or what their father will be like either, if they will even know him. Cordelia ran from every relationship she was ever in. There was a lovely man she used to go out with once. His name was Jason, she ran from him because he wanted them to live together, she said he was too arrogant. I couldn't find anything wrong with him. But I know now, it was that little witch whispering in her ear, wanting my daughter all to herself. You never see her with a man either, I was shocked when I saw her talking to that man at the party"

"I hear that he's a town player. He used to date one of the town celebrities, before she died"

"Good, maybe that will rustle her feathers a bit" Jean replied, taking a sip of her red wine with her dinner. "Tell me more about this mystery man"

"Well, word on the street is that he isn't too short of money, if you catch my drift. His house is huge. He doesn't socialize that much, he's usually seen drinking or walking around the town. He can be a little rude too. His brother is meant to be much nicer. He's seeing a nice girl at the moment. He's much more mannerly. He's quiet handsome too, all of their family seem to be"

"Any other family members?"

"There was an uncle in it, but not anymore. He seemed very average"

"People like that always have something to hide. That's why I don't like quiet people"

"It's always best to be kept well informed."

"Well once my daughter turns up I should go home, although my flight leaves Monday and I don't want to miss it. I don't want to worry people at home and I hate to miss flights, they don't come cheap"

"I'm sure you miss your son. If you went, you could give me your number and I could call you to keep you informed and tell you if there are any updates on Cordelia"

"That would be such a relief. I just hate being here and feeling so useless"

_Yeah, so you go home and pretend your daughter isn't missing._

Cecile was beginning to grow tired of Jean. She knew that she may as well ask her what she invited her over for.

"So, what was Cordelia like at the party? I don't believe I ever formally met her. I only spoke to her once while she was working. Did say anything to you? Did you see her with anyone?"

"No. I just caught a glimpse of her with a blonde man and that was it"

"Well what else did he look like? I'm sure if you told the Sheriff, she could help. Any information would be useful"

"No I won't, they already asked their questions and I already told them, he had a tattoo on his wrist because I remember him pushing back some of Cordelia's hair. All I remember was curly blonde hair that needed a bit of a cut and the tattoo and that was it. I only saw him from behind. I had gone to the bar to get us some drinks and when I came back she was gone"

"So, she didn't drink at all that night?"

"No. I was with her all night and I didn't see her drink once…and that other one witch, with the audacity to threaten to bar me from my own daughter's shop today." Jean muttered the last bit to herself before taking another sip of red wine.

Cecile remembered the Sheriff at the council meeting and mentioning that vervain would be put in all of the drinks. What if the blonde man had been the vampire?

* * *

><p>"Trust me, seeing someone drunk at that party would have been a great thing. Keep drunk, keep safe, that's my motto. Right brother?"<p>

"Damon this isn't funny. A girl is dead, she had a family and-"

"Oh spare me the lecture, I kind of know already Elena. Besides, you don't think Lover Boy over there doesn't give me the same lecture when you're not around?" Damon shot back at his brother's girlfriend.

"Is there anything being done about this?"

"Hey don't act as if I'm the bad guy Elena, you're the one that got your little witchy friend to use her juju to find Katherine. Don't be shocked if the body count seems to climb higher. I don't know, I might even join in"

"Enough, Damon!" Stefan finally spoke up, "The sooner we get rid of this vampire, the better."

"Well Jean is uncompelable now because she has vervain in her system and she saw me that night so she'd get suspicious."

"We noticed, which is why I got someone else to talk to her instead" Jeremy said a little smugly, as he entered the room, delighted to finally be of some use to the vampires and his sister.

"What did you do, Boy Genius?"

"I got my friend Kyle that works in the shop to talk to her. He told her that he was concerned for his boss. He said that this Jean chick was kind of a bitch"

"No surprises there" Damon muttered looking behind him with his arms crossed, before looking back to Jeremy, "so then what?"

"She said that Cordelia was seen with a blonde guy with curly hair and a tattoo on his wrist, that's it"

"So we're looking for a new guy that's blonde with a tattoo…lovely. That's just peachy"

"Not to mention Katherine is on the loose too, and looking for vervain"  
>"That woman is like a leach, she takes forever to get rid of" Stefan said.<p>

"So the bitch and the blonde…" Damon couldn't help but comment, never thinking he'd see a day where he had to utter those words.

**So what did you think? I've got a page of plans written out for this story. Again, I'm really sorry for the long update but I'm back now and I should be writing a lot over Christmas break so get used to me being back **

**Review**

**Skitz ;)**


	8. Heroes

**So sorry for the update that took months! But the summer is here and I fully intend on getting into the swing of things. I'm sorry for how bad this chapter is but I'm rusty and I basically had to mentally squeeze my brain for this! It's basically a filler but now everything will kick off. I've got it all planned out, trust me.**

_Yeah we can be heroes, just for one day ~David Bowie_

A week after Jean and Cecile had met for dinner, the town had become accustomed to whispering about the owners of The Riot Next Door, although by now the locals had taken to just calling it The Riot. Cordelia hadn't been seen anywhere and Jean had taken to paying people to post missing flyers everywhere.

Cecile had been delighted with the doubt and suspicion she had placed within the town. Katherine had made an appearance again, but this time it was to talk to Elena. And Cliona had moved back into her own house. Jean had gone to a hotel for the remainder of her stay and Cliona felt that she needed some space. Well that was her excuse; really she just wanted to lock herself away in her room without feeling awkward. She still tended to the store and had put together a list of people to interview to work at the store, but at the end of the day she just wanted to go home and lock herself away. Some nights she cried and one night in particular she had taken to breaking a vase in anger. She was pissed off at Cordelia. How could she just leave like that and be so reckless? They were meant to be in this together and now Cliona was on foreign ground with no one else.

Damon had witnessed this. He had taken to spying on her at night. He hadn't approached her properly yet, believing she just needed some space, unless you count the first night she cried in her sleep. He had sat beside her in bed that night and stroked her hair.

Today he was going to visit her in the shop. She'd had a week and if he had to shake her, he would. He wouldn't admit it but he missed having her in the house, hearing her breathing and her heartbeat as she slept, pouring out an extra coffee, looking forward to a night of the two of them cooking. He missed her company. And it was because of this very reason that he had told himself that he would invite her out for the night, to get her mind off of things for a while.

* * *

><p>"I don't think she'd be worker material...I don't know...and Rachel didn't know what inventory was and I can't be training anyone at the moment. What's your friends name, that guy...he comes into the shop sometimes...erm...he buys stuff? Chimp? Monkey?"<p>

"Chim?"

"Yeah. He buys stuff, he'd get the employee discount and first choice on stuff, he's in here every day anyway and he could use the money. Who knows, maybe I could work some of my sobering magic on him too"

"I'll ask him if you want. Hey, it's almost six, do you mind if I..."

"Go and take Lucy out. Enjoy yourself"

Kyle smiled in her direction even though she was sitting with her back facing him. She had a chair pulled up to the counter and was sitting on the outer part of the counter. Kyle stood by the door, torn between staying with her, or obeying and going out. He knew that she was putting on a front when he was around. "Just go kid" he heard her say. And without a second thought, he left the store, sounding the bells over the door.

It had been far too long. Cordelia should have called by now and Cliona was beyond scared. She wasn't just fearing the worst; she was wondering where that would land her. If Cordelia was dead, how would Cliona manage on her own? This was usually the part where Cliona would mentally slap herself. She didn't want to jinx her friend; she wanted her to have a fighting chance if she were being holed up in some basement somewhere. The idea of Cordelia torn and dirty, chained up in the basement of a house, located in the middle of nowhere turned Cliona's stomach.

She didn't want to think about it, yet all she should do was think about it. Her thoughts were interrupted when the bells jingled over the door again. "Kyle, I thought I told you to just go" Cliona tried not to snap, still keeping her back to the door.

"It's a good thing my name isn't Kyle then, isn't it?" A voice said right beside her ear.

Cliona jumped with the shock and whipped her head around to be face to face with the man she hadn't seen in a week. Honestly, she had thought that he would have gotten sick of her after seeing her everyday. After that she had decided to call, but then didn't know what to say to him, after that she had just been putting off, afraid he might say something to her for not calling her in the first place. Her mind was just a complete and utter mess right now.

"I'm sorry I didn't call" she blurted.

"I know, but you can't hide away forever. The world needs to see that pretty face or else it will stop, and I don't know about you but I like things moving along, it ensures that there will be people in the bar to serve me and help me get drunk whenever I want" Damon grinned, trying to lighten the mood. Cliona looked at the floor and allowed for a small, yet sad, smile. Damon placed his hand underneath her chin to bring her gaze to meet his. They were both silent for a moment, just looking at each other, both of them expecting Damon to say something.

"Come on. We're going out tonight and I'm not taking no for an answer" he said, pulling away and bringing Cliona's arm with him, linking it with his own, once she stood up. "I don't care if you have books to tend to or inventory. We're going and that's it"

* * *

><p>Damon had won the argument and Cliona hadn't tried to do any last minute things at the shop, but it had only been on the condition that she got to get some things from the house and change. She had only changed into a pair of black jeans and one of her fancy tops but it still felt good to change. She changed her bag too and got a few things together before going outside and getting into Damon's car. Under any other circumstances, she would have insisted on meeting him there and going in her own car, ever the independent woman. But she was too mentally drained to start any kind of conflict right now. She was only really going along with this because she felt guilty for not calling and didn't want to lose someone else.<p>

"She'll turn up you know" Damon said, breaking the awkward silence in the car. "People disappear all the time around here and then they come back, only to leave again because they've gotten a taste for the big city they were originally found in"

Cliona didn't know whether that made her feel better, or worse.

Cordelia wouldn't choose her over a big city would she? No. She'd take her with her. She had to.

"She would have called"

"You said she's done this before. Maybe she's just having a lot of fun and hasn't noticed her phone is gone, or has and is trying to get back right now" Damon knew that the woman was probably dead but he didn't want to say that to Cliona, let alone explain how he even knew this.

"She's never been gone this long. Jean isn't making this any easier, they all stare now. They think I've killed her and hid her body in the woods or something. I even wondered if there'd be a connection with that animal killing in the woods"

Damon could feel his heart leap in his chest when she said this, but didn't say anything.

"But then I remembered" Cliona continued, "She doesn't go camping. She hates the outdoors and if there's something she hates more than mud, it's her shoes being destroyed. She wouldn't go near the woods and she doesn't hitch hike in rural places. She gets cabs and lifts from other people"

"Her cell probably died or was dropped at a disco or stolen. You know how these things go"

"There are pay phones everywhere"

Damon held back a huff of anger. She was making this too damn difficult. There was just so much that he could take. He didn't mind lying to her if it was for her own good, but she was really beginning to push it.

"Look, you need a night off. And we're going to go somewhere to take your mind off of it" Damon said, trying to keep his tone optimistic, as he parked the car and got out, waiting for Cliona to do the same. He didn't like her acting this way. It just wasn't her. If she was herself, he'd have opened her door for her, and be a gentleman just as he was raised to be, but she had gotten so submissive that he wanted to see her do something herself. She was really after changing, and he could only hope that this wouldn't last long.

The pair walked across the street, the sun finally after setting and all of the streetlights shining own on the pavement. They continued to walk down the street in silence, until they came to a building that Cliona had yet to enter since she arrived in Mystic Falls, which had even shocked her herself.

"The cinema?"

"I think that we need some escapism here. Besides, who doesn't love the movies?" Damon shrugged a shoulder with a look on his face as if to say 'duh it's obvious', as he opened the door and held it for Cliona to pass through first.

The Mystic Falls theatre was smaller than Cliona had expected. Since she had come to America everything had bigger, bringing her to the conclusion that the movie theatre should have been just as big, so it had obviously come as a shock to her when she entered and saw that the room was no bigger than her own shop. Well, the lobby was anyway.

Once the popcorn and tickets were gotten, the couple began to walk towards the screening room. "I can't believe you're taking me to see a thriller that got horrible reviews"

"Well we can criticize it together and focus our energy into complaining about it. I think you'd enjoy that. People love to bitch about things" Damon replied, an arrogant smirk on his face. He took some popcorn into his mouth before opening up the screening door for Cliona, just as he had down at the entrance to the building, the smile never leaving his face the entire time.

Once they were seated at the very back, Cliona let her popcorn down and reached for her purse to check her phone and made sure that it was turned off. It was the first time she had turned it off since Cordelia had gone missing and she felt a little guilty for turning it off, but Damon was right. She needed a night for herself. She thought of all of the people that would be talking about how horrible she was for going to the movies when her friend was missing, but they'd be talking about her anyway, whether she went and did it or not. People were already complaining because she was working. She had felt so alone for the last week, but at least she had Damon today.

That thought had made her realise what she had been missing. If she had called him earlier, she wouldn't feel so bad or alone. She regretted not calling him even more, and decided right then that no matter what, she'd call him.

Looking to her left and seeing the man himself, she smiled when he looked back at her. "Thank you" she told him, the sincerity clear in her voice.

"No problem"

Cliona reached over and kissed him on the cheek, "I mean it. You're right. I shouldn't lock myself away, especially now. Can't have people thinking they can walk all over me now, can I?"

Damon smirked in response, seeing the old Cliona coming back to the surface. It was a relief to him. He'd originally thought that bringing her back to her old ways would take some time. He didn't know when the next Council meeting was, but he _did_ know that he would verbally abuse Cecile. Jeremy hadn't got it this hard when he'd killed Vicky, when he knew what was going on anyway.

"I'm going to get through this. I'm going to face everyone. I'm going to stop drinking for a while. I'm going to focus on the shop and on you and I'm not going to let anyone stop me"

Damon was flattered, stunned even, with what she had said. Focus on him, that was something he'd never heard before. His parents had never even said it. He had always grown up being told to be considerate and to think of others, especially Stefan. What came out of his mouth was completely different to what his inner dialogue was saying.

"Stop drinking?"

"I think that I've been doing it too much since I got here. I don't want to give everyone another excuse to talk about me, and I need a clear head. Drinking will only depress me, and I don't need that right now. In saying that, you don't have to follow my decision and stop too. You can do whatever you want. I don't believe in forcing people to do things they aren't too crazy about"

"Women like you are rare. If you were Elena, I bet Stefan would be quitting too. But they're not fun and none of them drink anyway" Damon pointed out, his eyes looking everywhere but his face was turned in Cliona's direction. "Although I bet he'd feel that it's the right thing to do and do it as a gesture of support, but he's the golden boy"

"Still your brother though, no words will ever change that"

"No don't talk about yours that often. You've mentioned in passing that you have one, but you have yet to indulge me"

"Nothing to tell really. He likes to act like an idiot and I don't talk to my family all that much. And trust me; it isn't the distance or the Atlantic Ocean" Cliona replied, just as the lights began to dim and the projector behind them was switched on. The usual copyright advertisements and phone notices began to play, silencing everyone in the room.

Cliona pulled her bag to her again and pulled out a glass bottle the size of her hand. With a proud smile, she took off the cork of the Captain Morgan's and poured some of it into her coke. Damon watched her, a playful smile and wide eyes on his face. "Naughty"

"Yeah well, seeing as I'm gonna go sober soon, I may as well enjoy my last night"

"I like the way you think Miss Murphy"

* * *

><p>The cinema had been a great idea, she had to admit it. It was like something from those stupid films Cordelia had forced her to watch when they were teenagers, where the guy puts his arm around the girl's shoulders, although her own version included Damon telling a guy to shut up in the middle of the movie and another woman getting up to run out to get sick as she was pregnant.<p>

Regardless, she had still enjoyed herself.

Once they got inside the blue car, she put her bag down by her feet like she usually did, and rolled down the window. The weather had been unnaturally good lately and the heat had been bothering her, as if Cordelia's disappearance hadn't been bad enough.

"I still can't believe he didn't know that it was him all along. How do you even forget killing someone?" she asked, her mind still focused the film that they had just seen. It had definitely taken her by surprise but once she had learned that it involved an asylum, she had been hooked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"When you're crazy you forget stuff. You're mind works differently. Maybe he just had an overly active dose of PTSD and it progressed into a short term memory." Damon replied, glad that her mind was finally on something else. He could only hope that she could be like this tomorrow.

"If I was crazy and I knew I was, I'd probably kill as many of the people I hate as possible."

"Why?"

"Because I could plead insanity and get away with it. I could be as gruesome as I want, and I'm still going to be locked up either way, regardless if I killed them or not"

"That's one way to look at it I guess" Apart from Katherine, this had been the first woman he'd ever come across that was calm with the idea of death and would gladly admit to wanting to murder someone. Bonnie would try to give him an aneurysm, Elena would give out to him, and Caroline would end up complaining about the fact that her nail had been broken. All three of them would try to avoid the conversation, but Cliona was honest about it. It was quiet refreshing to say the least.

"Well if you ever kill someone, I'll hide you so don't worry"

"Wouldn't you worry that I'd try and make you my next victim?"

"I'm a big boy, I think I can handle myself" Damon smirked over to Cliona, beginning to enjoy her antics.

"Honest question. If I couldn't take my hands off of you, I can only guess how my knife would feel"

"A knife? Please, that is so 80's"

"I like the classic knife"

"Yeah, if you're like a 3 foot tall red haired possessed doll"

"Say what you will about Chuckie, but I liked his taste in women"

"She basically killed him!"

"But she kicked ass and put Barbie to shame. Plus she got what she wanted in the end and protected her children. See! She had a redeeming quality! She wasn't a cold hearted bitch. If she was she would have left her kids to die"

"Well, I like class but I also like guns and improvising"

"Like using rats to eat away your victim?"

"Oh God, who have I got in my car?" Damon teased her, enjoying their humorous yet morbid conversation. They were both laughing when he pulled up outside of his house. The lights were on, which illuminated the front garden. "You wanna come in for a while? I've got water for you to drink"

"Okay" Cliona giggled, before removing her seatbelt, picking up her bag and getting out of the car.

The house hadn't changed in the week since she'd been here, she noticed. But then again, why should it? She had stayed here out of goodwill, not to change the owner's views on the world or the decor. The fire was already lighting, as it always seemed to and they seemed to be the only ones here. Cliona had sometimes wondered if Stefan had always been gone because she had been there, but turning up on a spur of the moment decision had helped her come to the conclusion that perhaps he was just never here anyway. If he was always with Elena, Cliona wondered how she felt about him constantly being there. People's relationships were different, but Cliona liked her independence and her space to breath.

* * *

><p>Cliona had ended up staying for almost three hours, just talking and laughing. She didn't want to go home. She didn't want to have to face that cold and empty house she now had all to herself. It meant that she'd have to face reality and come back to planet Earth and that notion wasn't attractive to her at all. She wanted to stay here, just as she had when Jean had been around and annoyed Cordelia. Cliona had toyed with the idea that her friend would have disappeared because of her mother, but she also knew that she would have let her in on her plan, or at least left her some indication as to her whereabouts. Now Jean was here, Cordelia wasn't, and Cliona's life was going to hell.<p>

"You shouldn't worry as much. I know it's hard but things happen for a reason. All you can do is anticipate the worst so when you get your answers you'll either be relieved that they aren't that bad, or be prepared for bad news." Damon said after a long silence, which Cliona had spent gazing into the flames.

"She's just been there for me, you know? She's helped me with my own personal problems. I've always vented to her and I came here and started a business with the intention of doing it with her. I can't do this on my own. If she never comes back, I'm left with this burden that can ruin me. Birthdays, Christmas, if she's dead we're going to miss her for all of these things. I can't...I just...it's so..." Cliona couldn't finish what she was saying. Her voice felt as if it was closing in on herself and she was beginning to find it difficult to breath. She could feel her eyes warming up and her air supply shortening. It wasn't long before her body was being wracked by sobs, which she couldn't control.

Damon didn't hesitate in trying to hold her. "Hey, hey. These things will work out. There are people out there looking for her. Someone will recognise her or at least give you some piece of information."

"The last time I saw her, I barely spoke to her because of her mother. I told you, she's poison. She's a demon and won't stop until everyone around her is miserable. I could've done more or said more, but I just walked away so I could avoid her mother. Who does that?!"

Cliona wiped furiously at her face, trying to dry her tears and to stop crying.

"I'm sorry for ruining the night"

"No. You didn't ruin it. You're entitled to be like this. If you weren't, you'd just be proving everyone else right in thinking that you're an evil witch that wants to kill everyone that's nice to her"

"Where did I get you out of?"

"A bar, I believe"

Cliona giggled at the sarcasm. She smiled at him, genuinely happy that she had him here with her. She didn't think she'd be able to if he wasn't. She reached in and gently placed her lips on his. She lingered for a second before she pulled away, their noses almost touching. "Thank you. For everything...for just existing"

Damon didn't know what to say in response, so he settled for doing the next best thing and closed the gap again, kissing her. He put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him, needing to feel her near him. He could feel as she placed one of her hands in his hair, her other hand going to his chest.

When they both pulled away, neither of them could hide the stupid smiles on their faces. Things were finally looking up. Damon had found a girl he felt could keep up with him, and that he could ever feel this way for again. Something he'd never thought he would find with anyone else after Katherine. Cliona was just happy that she had met a man like him, and that it was someone who was there for her during her hour of need.

"I need to get back. I've got a big day tomorrow. I've got a new worker bee and I've got a lot of people to throw dirty looks at" she smiled.

"I'll drive you"

"No. It's fine. We're not that far from the centre of town. And I'd enjoy the walk to a taxi place. Don't worry about me. Stop by tomorrow though?"

"Of course, we can't have all of those employees mutinying you now can we?"

"I don't run a ship Damon...and you know that's not a word"

"But if you did, I'd be first mate" he said, pulling her closer to him again. "Right?"

"I don't know, with your cooking abilities...I may need someone in the galley" Cliona teased, pulling away and standing up, straightening her top in the process. "I'll see you in the morning"

She walked over to the front door with Damon following close behind. She opened the door and stood out on the porch. There was a cool breeze in the air, which she couldn't help with enjoy. Damon held the door open and looked down at her. She was about a head smaller than him, which he found adorable. She looked up at him, about to say something until she was cut off when he leaned down and kissed her again.

"I promise to stop by the shop in the morning. If your new worker tries anything you can just threaten him by using me" he smirked.

"See you tomorrow" she said one last time, before walking away, not wanting the situation to become awkward over who would leave first. She was exhausted but happy. She didn't want to feel selfish for that. Cordelia's being missing was a horrible thing and it still brought tears to her eyes, but just because she was gone it didn't mean that the world would stop and everyone along with it. If she never came back, Cliona would still be expected to pick up where she left off and move on, she was just ensuring that it wouldn't be that difficult if it came to that. It wasn't selfish to want to be happy.

She was almost all the way down the drive when she saw something on the ground, underneath the hedges. It looked like a bag, a dark coloured one. With curiosity daring her to move forward, she slowly took a step in the direction of the hedges and bended down, picking up the object. It took her a few minutes to figure out what it was.

A blood bag.

Why would there be a blood bag in Damon's front garden? Maybe someone just dumped it there as a joke. But how would they get their hands on it? Maybe it was a fake. People in the town seemed to have a thing for costumes and stuff. It wouldn't be too impossible to find a fake bag of blood, she was sure.

She had thought that it had been some form of handbag when she had first spotted it. She laughed to herself, before looking down and realising something.

_Hang on a minute._

* * *

><p>Damon had just closed the door, a smile on his face as he leaned against the wood. He expected that tomorrow would be even better than the night he had just had.<p>

"Aw how cute. A human...turning into the favourite brother now are we?" purred a familiar voice.

"What are you doing back here Katherine? Elena didn't want anything to do with you and neither do I. Why bother?"

"But I'm having so much fun" she pouted, as Damon turned around to face her.

"What? Killing people and kidnapping blonde women? Yeah I bet its fun"

Katherine dropped the act, looking more annoyed now. She placed a hand on her hip and began to speak again "Alright, firstly, yes killing people is fun. We're vampires, it's what we do. Secondly, I haven't gotten any blondes. You know me, I like them tall dark and handsome. You used to be fun"

"I know" Damon smiled sarcastically, "But that was only before I realised how much of a conniving bitch you really are"

"You're supposed to kill, and feed. You're a vampire for Christ's sake! Act like it! Stop getting cosy with the food!"

Damon expected her to keep looking at him with anger on her face, but by the end of the sentence he had noticed her beginning to smile again, spotting something over his shoulder. He looked behind himself, trying to find out what it was she was smiling at. What he saw made him freeze.

Damon had looked over to see something he didn't want to. Standing at the door and staring at him with a shocked expression on her face, was Cliona. She had a frown of disbelief on her face, obviously having difficulty trying to process everything she had just heard.

"I just..." she began.

"Cliona, I can explain" Damon began trying to take a step closer to her. She jerked back, her hands raised in front of her, defensively.

"I just...came for my bag. I forgot it"

Damon sighed, knowing that the first woman he'd cared for in a long time had just been lost to him. He could only hope that she wouldn't say a word to anyone, he didn't want her to have to die. He knew that he'd have difficulty trying to do it himself, but he also knew that Katherine wouldn't. In fact, she'd take great pleasure in it. Any chance to hurt him pleased her.

He went back to the couch, ignoring the proud looking Katherine, and picked up Cliona's bag, before going back to give it to her, slowly. As she gingerly took the bag from him, the look on her face was more of hurt and betrayal than fear, which was even worse. He could have dealt with her fearing for her life because of what he was, but the look of betrayal killed him. He knew that she had had trust issues, and the moment he had broken that barrier, he had hurt her, whether he had felt he was protecting her or not.

She left without a word that night, leaving Damon alone with the woman that had hurt him the same way, all those years ago.

* * *

><p><em>Supposed to kill, and feed<em>

Cliona didn't know what to say. In fact she couldn't say anything. The entire way home, all she could do was put one foot in front of the other as her mind went into over drive. Kill and feed. She would have brushed it off and said that Elena was just being crazy. Perhaps she had split personality disorder. But Damon had called her Katherine.

Cliona remembered that he had said he'd studied psychology. Maybe that's why Damon had called her Katherine. Perhaps that was what you were meant to do and go along with it. But they had both been so serious.

She couldn't deny it.

_You're a vampire for Christ's sake Stop getting cosy with the food_

That's all she was to him, she thought as she stepped over the threshold to her own house, not bothering to get a taxi in the end. She was food. She was a piece of bacon being waved in front of a hungry dog. She couldn't bring herself to say that word, either. It wasn't something that you could easily believe. She still liked her mental illness theory.

Maybe she was the ill one. What if she was like that guy in the movie?

She looked at her bag. He's touched it. This bag was the reason she knew everything, if she hadn't forgot it she would still be in the dark. She opened it and pulled out her phone, switching it on in case anyone tried to call with news on Cordelia. She should never have gone out with him. She shouldn't have felt any feelings towards him. He should have told her, no matter how bizarre. She _had_ been selfish. She needed to find Cordelia, not fraternize with the supernatural. She glanced down at the bag again, before throwing it away.

It flew into the air and hit the wall opposite her, the contents spilling out onto the floor and rolling around, like a game of marbles. They ended up scattered everywhere, just like her thoughts.

She could feel her legs give out from under her, her tears coming back. She had begun to shake violently, when she heard her phone buzz in her hand. She looked down, drying her tears as she did so, to see the last thing she would have expected today.

_One Missed Call: Cordelia_

**And there you have it! She's gone and she's back and Cliona is basically one big mess over her, not so independent is she? I honestly never saw the end of season 3 but thankfully I'm not following the show anymore. And True Blood is back so...that shall be fun. I may end up writing for that. Once again, my Facebook is on my page and feel free to follow me on twitter at JonieLuvsBolony.  
>I hope you liked the new cover for this story!<br>Review! And I'll just go and get started on Chapter 9  
>Skitz ;)<strong>


	9. Lets Blame Cordelia!

**Sorry for the long wait! I know I said that my summer would be based around writing but I ended up in Wales, Liverpool, my Debs (or prom), I had exams and results and then I was moving out for college and immigrating. Basically it was hectic and the gist of this is that I no longer live in Ireland. I'm now based in England, BUT I have moved in with an old beta-reader of mine, so hopefully she will bully me into writing again. *fingers crossed***

**Plot twist I've been wanting to bring in for ages finally appears in this chapter, hope it doesn't get too Mary-Sue, but I really want to keep the ball rolling on this one, but I'm over halfway through this story!**

**Thanks for reading and hanging on with that long wait.**

**Enjoy and review!**

**Skitz ;)**

**p.s I usually proofread this first but things are so hectic, I'd rather get it out there now.**

_**Chapter 9 'Let's Blame Cordelia!'**_

The calls had finally stopped.

Along with emails, voicemails and texts.

It was always the same._ I should have told you. I thought I was protecting you. I didn't want this to happen. Please call me back. I want to see you again._

But how could she?

What do you say to a guy you were starting the to like until he ended up being a vampire? Boy, that would make one hell of a Hallmark card.

Cliona was scared. She kept thinking back to all of those times she had been alone with Damon. There had been so many opportunities for him to kill her, but instead he had bought her a drink and maybe kissed her. There had been no hint of an urge to bite her. The again, he had always been mannerly and chivalrous….no modern man was like that. Modern men were more demanding and made no attempt to hide the fact they only had one thing on their mind.

The only thing keeping Cliona from having a mental breakdown, thanks to her conflicting thoughts ranging from '_he didn't hurt me then so he obviously never wanted to kill me in the first place, meaning his feeling for me are genuine_' to '_Oh my God, he's a freaking vampire! What the fuck?!_', was Cordelia's return.

That night, Cliona immediately called her friend back and ,thankfully, got a reply. Cordelia apologized more than she ever had. Usually she just brushed Cliona's furious scolding aside and went back to work, but this time Cordelia sounded as if she would have been on her knees in front of her friend if she had been there. She claimed to have had met some guy and gone to his house in the city for a while, unable to find her phone during that time and getting lost in the attention the guy was giving her, until she realised that he wasn't for her.

Cliona still didn't like the whole idea. First she was attacked by a guy and then Cordelia immediately jumped back in the the dating game. And the whole city story sounded as if she was being led astray way too easily. The best thing, which had actually brought a smug grin to Cliona's face, was the look on everyone's face, along with Jean's, when they saw Cliona walking through Mystic Falls on the way to shop with Cordelia beside her.

_I lose the murderous witch rumor and gain a vampire, well that's ironic._

It was Monday, and a full week since Cordelia had returned and Cliona had stopped contacting Damon. A whole week to try to cry herself into oblivion, eat her weight in ice cream, and break a few plates. But during that week, she had begun to think, and had reached the idea that she should find Elena and talk to her. If Damon was vampire then Stefan must be too, plus that vampire woman looked just like her, so if anyone in Mystic Falls had answers it has her.

With Monday also being Cordelia's day to run the shop, Cliona was able to go to Elena's house, well that, and the fact that Cordelia had complained that she was tired of being monitored all the time and wanted time to grill some new staff members, which she had also been displeased with. The Irish woman couldn't complain there, although she was beginning to see a pattern here, as every time she was angry or upset with Cordelia, she always ended up hiring new staff without consulting her first.

Elena's house was big and solid looking, with it's perfectly rectangular shape and neatly cut lawn. It was very All American in Cliona's opinion. But as pretty as it was, she knew that the interior held dark secrets, and that they were the real reason she was there in the first place.

Walking up the garden path seemed to take a lifetime. The brunette kept looking around her, to see that the street was empty, wondering what people would think. Would they try to ask what the connection was? Would they know that it was because of the Salvatore brother? Did the town still think that her and Damon were an item, even though they'd only kissed in public once and gone on one real date? She hadn't considered these things before, they were beginning to make her want to turn back to her car and drive home, not just home but to the airport. She wanted to fly back home to Europe and retreat back to her village surrounded by fields that she had wanted to escape all of her life. Anywhere was better right now, in her opinion anyway.

She hadn't even thought about what her body was physically doing when she rang the doorbell, as her mind was still swarming with ideas of planes and disgusting plane food, boarding passes, security checks and the duty free.

"Hey Cliona, what can I do for you?" a happy voice said.

The woman standing on the porch immediately came out of her thoughts and looked at a bright eyed Elena, standing there holding the door open. Elena always looked so innocent, serious but innocent, kind of like Stefan, but he had a dark broodiness as if he'd seen things, and now, Cliona realised, he probably had. She couldn't help but look at Elena in shock, her mouth wide open, as Elena looked at her expectantly.

Reading her expression, Elena knew why Cliona was here. Stefan had told her after he had had to clean up Damon's mess after he took out his anger on the living room after Katherine had arrived on the scene. And then Elena remembered, Cliona had seen Katherine. Katherine, the doppelganger of Elena. She opened the door wider and motioned for Cliona to come in, still in the habit of not literally telling people to come in, in case they were vampire.

Both of the women went into the kitchen, Cliona sitting at the island, and Elena going to the fridge to get out two bottles of water, before joining her at the island and passing her a bottle.

"Stefan told me. I bet you've got a load of questions. I know I did" she began, sparing the other woman an awkward moment of try to phrase her question without seeming too scared or too bitchy.

"It scares me" came the simple reply. "Things were so light and easy going. I enjoyed myself, it was my form of escapism, and then I really began to like him, and now here I am, sitting in your house terrified that I'm going to have my throat ripped out. It's amazing how life can change in such a short space of time. This time last year I was in England saving up to come here, and now I'm scared of vampires, and what Cordelia is doing, and all of these rumors, and it's like I can't breath sometimes, like crying isn't even enough you know?"

"It gets better, trust me" Elena soothed, reaching over and placing her hand over Cliona's. "When I found out about Stefan I didn't want to leave the house. But I know he'd never hurt me. We love each other. He's always saving me."

"It makes sense now. Damon said Stefan had drinking problems, but it's not true is it. They're both vampires?"

"Well yeah, but it's a bit of an inside joke too because Stefan feeds on animal blood. He refuses to hurt any human, which Damon see's as a bit of a Vampire Vegetarian lifestyle"

"So he eats people?" Cliona's eyes widened, as she pictured Damon doing that, the Damon that had hugged her and joked with her, had been so caring towards her. She couldn't imagine him taking someones life.

"He drinks from bags, but if there's a really bad person he might….he doesn't do it that often. He'd never hurt you. Trust me. I know by the way he looks at you"

"This past week, I've been thinking of all of those chances he would have had when we were alone-"

"But he didn't! Because he won't let any harm come to you, like me and Stefan"

Cliona was expressionless. She just looked down at her unopened bottle of water in silence, trying to think of what to ask next but was beat to the punch when Elena spoke again. "During the 1800's Damon fought in the Civil War. Their dad was strict and wasn't happy when Damon dropped out of the army and returned home. They'd taken in a woman named Katherine Pearse and Stefan and her, started up this romance but once Damon returned…"

"There was a triangle?" Cliona offered.

"Yeah, anyway, to cut a long story short, she manipulated them, fed them her blood, got them killed, faked her death, and a while back, after over a century of searching, Damon found her alive and was heartbroken. She''s not nice, and she's in Mystic Falls again. Whatever you do, you've got to stay away from her"

"Katherine….is that the woman from that night?"

"Yeah, she looks like me, but that's because apparently we're related or something. I don't know….I don't even get it" Elena rubbed at her temple, with her elbow resting on the island, a small smile on her face. She really hoped that Cliona wouldn't run from all of this, she wanted Damon to have what she and Stefan had, plus he might even cool it down on the flirting.

"I don't know what to say"

"Call him"

"Then I really wouldn't know what to say. And if this Katherine is back then how can I tell the difference between her and you?"

"She's extremely dangerous. She might even target you because she feels Damon is her exclusive play toy, she's territorial like that. You should really talk to Damon, he'd know how to protect you, it'd be dangerous not to talk to him. My hair is usually straight, and she curls I always wear this silver necklace that Stefan gave me. That's how you can tell us apart. Katherine shouldn't be able to wear it because it's got vervain in it, which is this weird plant that's like vampire kryptonite. Bonnie got herbs from your shop but those things don't always tend to be reliable. You'd want to look into getting some vervain as soon as possible. Damon knows where to find it."

"You're really adamant that I call Damon aren't you?"

"I can't help it. He doesn't know it and not that many people know it, but he's really our go-to-guy"

"How many people know about this whole vampire thing? I do, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, my brother, the town council"

"The entire council?"

"Well I know that a few definitely do, I'm not so sure about the rest"

"Thanks Elena, for everything. I appreciate it."

"No problem, any time. Us girls gotta stick together" Elena said, following Cliona to the front door. She smiled reassuringly as Cliona turned to leave and got into her car, heading home.

Wait. Bonnie was a witch?

000

"You can't stay in doors forever! Didn't you have any fun while I was away?"

"I was busy taking over the shop and working because it's not like you were there to help!" snapped Cliona, rubbing her left temporal lobe as she felt a headache coming on. She didn't want to have Cordelia whining in her ear about how she never went out to have fun, because she knew that she'd just annoy her in going to the Grill, and that meant possibly running into Damon. She didn't want to be near people, they might, after all, turn out to be vampires.

"Oh come on! Just one drink! It'll be fun. I haven't been there in so long"

"Yeah, because you prefer a small town bar over a city nightclub anyday" Cliona replied with sarcasm.

"It'll get you out of this mood your in. I thought you'd be happy to see me"

The way she said it was heartbreaking, as if Cliona had let her down and killed a few puppies in the process. She half expected to see Cordelia's bottom lip quiver if she looked up at her. At least Cordelia knew how her disappearance had affected her best friend and business partner. The again, how was she to know that people would almost resurrect the Salem witch trials, just because she met a man and vanished with him?

"One drink"

000

Typical.

That was the word he used to describe the whole thing. This was just what happened, a part of the pattern in the tapestry that was his life. A pretty ugly damn tapestry too, he thought to himself as he grimaced at his drink resting in front of him, with his arms crossed.

This was just what happened everytime he found himself liking a woman. Things would be nice for a short while, and once it looked like everything would work out, bam, something bad happens, whether it be a vampire being poisoned with vervain and sent off to be killed, or a woman ending up finding out his darkest of secrets of coming face to face with a dangerous vampire.

The whole thing was beyond unfair.

It was just…..typical.

What made me think that I could actually have a normal relationship for once, he thought. Death always seemed to play some role in the whole thing, he thought. His patience was really wearing thin on the whole scenario. Stefan was still annoying him about the murders, the council were doing the same, only he couldn't break a chair in front of them without giving himself away. And to top that off Katherine kept wandering around the town, making the odd appearance to someone. Damon knew that even if this hadn't happened, he couldn't have spoken about it or vented to Cliona. He could use some mind control sure, but it wasn't the same. He would have always craved her honest opinions. But whether he could have told her or not, he still would have wanted to seek out her company. She had been his form of escapism and he wanted things to go back to that. He wanted to go to the Lockwood's Mansion and take her to the parties there.

Which was another thing the council had also been arguing about.

Carol had really taken running for mayor seriously. People had been hired to go out canvassing for the event, posters were everywhere, and she had even taken to giving lectures in schools and hospitals, talking about not wanting any reforms, and just wanting to protect everyone's kids, blah blah. It was all kind of bland for Damon's taste, to be quite honest.

He had just taken another sip, when he smelled it.

Her scent.

The door had opened, letting in a cool breeze, which carried her sweet scent across the bar. But there was something else too. Something with it.

Vampire.

He turned slightly and saw her, for the first time in a week. He'd tried calling and texting but she never answered. In the end, he'd realised that he needed to give her space, and he honestly didn't blame her if she didn't want to see him. He _could _kill her after all.

She hadn't changed much. She seemed a little bit more tired than usual, but she'd been tired before Katherine had showed up. That blonde was with her too. Now _that_ had been one hell of a council meeting. Cecile had been gobsmacked, her mouth opening and closing like a fish with no words leaving her mouth. She had later reached the conclusion that Cordelia was either a clone, or had been resurrected from the dead, either way still claiming that Cliona was a witch.

If only she had paid attention to Bonnie, who came by to drop off her mail when it ended up at the wrong house. She would have gotten the fright of her life.

He could feel her glance at him, hear her heart speed up from across the room, her breathing becoming faster in pace. She didn't want to be around him, that very thought killing him. He scared her and he knew it. But as much as that was eating him up, another part of his brain was still stuck on the vampire scent. It was near her, around her, and it wasn't his….or Katherine's for that matter. What had she been doing in the past week?

When he went to look over at her again, she had moved to sit down at a small round glossy wooden table in the corner, where the lights were only dimly lighting. She already had a drink in front of her, water, while Cordelia sat next to her with a red wine.

After a week apart he couldn't help but drink in the sight of her. A long sleeved red top, black skinny jeans with boots. She'd painted her nails black and wasn't wearing as much make up as she normally did. Her hair was hanging down, looking as if it hadn't been brushed, and she seemed much more closed off than usual. He didn't blame her, she probably just wanted to run far away from him as possible.

He briefly wondered what Elena had said to her. Stefan had told him earlier that she had gone to Elena with questions. Damon began to feel the anger rising within him. Elena better not have scared her off or told her to stay away from him.

He wanted to protect her. She was in danger. He still hated himself for selfishly not giving her the vervain when he had the chance. He hadn't known that all of this would come about. Memories or her blood clouded his thoughts. That had been so long ago, almost like another lifetime. She had been drunk and he hadn't known that he would end up liking her the way he did. He would take it back if he could.

He had tried convincing himself that not being with her was for the best anyway. He was a vampire that would feed and she was a human, that would eventually age and die. She would find herself wanting a normal life with kids and a husband and grandkids, with all of that boring crap, while he'd always be young and going to big city parties, seeing the world,m watching everything grow and die and grow and die some more. He'd watch technology advance and replace itself constantly. He'd always be a witness to the cruel cycle of life and she wouldn't.

But he had become addicted to her presence. Even if she didn't speak a word, he still loved it. As scared as she was of him, and as angry as he was at life, he still found a small pleasure in knowing that they were both in the same room as each other, breathing in the same air.

He glanced over to her again and saw Cordelia hand her a white paper back book, which Cliona took from her without a word. She smiled a little, obviously pleased with the gift and went to open it. As she flicked through the pages, Cordelia had started chattering mindlessly, only pausing when Cliona winced and dropped the book to look down at her finger.

Damon smelled it before he saw it. He'd had it once before. It was something he would never forget.

Blood

Cordelia didn't say a word, and just remained stoic, staring at the drop of blood on her friend's finger. And that's when Damon saw it. It was a brief flash, but he knew he saw it. The veins underneath her eyes began to rise a little, her eyes darkening in the process, and then disappeared.

"You need a band aid" he heard her say quickly, before she grabbed Cliona's arm and dragged her out of the Grill, not in the direction of a bathroom or a first-aid kit. Damon got up out of his seat, straining his ears to hear what was going on, but quickly ditched the idea, too impatient, and tried to leave as quickly as _humanly _possible, so as not to attract attention.

He found them in the alley way, between the Grill and the clothes store. Cliona was on the ground, her head slightly lifted, leaning against a wall in her unconscious state. Cordelia was hunched over her, he could hear the low snarl in her chest.

"Oh no you don't bitch"

At vampiric speed, he launched himself at her, throwing her so she landed at the other end of the alleyway. She didn't stay down for long, but sensing the age that Damon was and his strength, she merely glared at him before disappearing into the night, probably to find someone else to drain.

000

It was beyond a throbbing feeling. It was worse than when you have a cold and you feel as if your brain is rattling around inside your head. It was as if her head had literally been cracked open. She didn't want to open her eyes, knowing that the light would hurt her eyes and make this headache worse.

The last thing that Cliona remembered was Cordelia taking her out to get a bandage for her finger, but that was it. She thought that they were heading to a pharmacy to buy a band-aid or some form of plaster, but then her memory just went black. Paired with this new pain in her head, she immediately realised that she must've taken a blow to the head.

Were they mugged?

Was Cordelia okay?

She stirred a little, finally taking in the soft cushions she could feel below her, wondering who had found her and where she was, but still refusing to open her eyes. She really hoped that her friend was okay, she had just gotten her back after all.

"Nice to know you're awake. I was beginning to think you might have a concussion. I'd have to wake you myself" came a familiar voice.

A guys voice.

Damon's voice?

That was when Cliona finally opened her eyes, happy to see that there was only the soft light of the fire. She sat up slowly, looking around and taking in the familiar surroundings of the Salvatore boarding house. The drapes were closed and the fire was crackling away. The usual glasses and bottles of liquor were behind the couch across from the fire, and everything was the exact same as it had been when she had been here last. The night with Katherine.

But for someone reason she couldn't hate the place, or even feel scared of it. She still felt safe here. It was where she had gone when she had basically been run out of her own house my Jean, afterall. It was where she had gotten to know Damon better, and a part of her knew that he would protect her, if push really came to shove. She remembered the look on his face when she had learned the truth, how crushed and worried he had been. Worried that he would lose her.

It was in that moment, by the fire in the boarding house, that Cliona finally realised, after months of knowing him, that she actually loved Damon Salvatore, vampire or not.

But she wasn't going to admit it to him now, of course. She still wanted answers about Cordelia.

"Where is she? Is she okay? Were we jumped?" she grumbled, trying to sit up and become more alert.

"That nutcase is the reason you're here" Damon replied, coming to sit beside her. Part of him was dying to be near her again, but he didn't want to scare her away, and so decided to try and keep his distance and make sure that he didn't brush against her.

Both of the sat near each other, wanting to brush against one another for the comfort, but they weren't going to say it. Both terrified of what might happen, they both remained clinging to the conversation on Cordelia.

"I don't know how to tell you this, some I'm just gonna come right out and say it" Damon began, looking over at Cliona, who looked back with wide green eyes, filled with fear of what he was about to say.

"You're friend is a vampire. She tried to attack you in that alley after you cut your hand. She smelled it and it drove her crazy. She's new to all of this and has no self restraint. So you're going to have to go home and don't invite her in. Vampire's can't enter a house that belongs to a human and you need to stay safe. We don't know what she's like yet. SHe could give up and try to be your friend again, or she could be hooked on the scent of your blood and try to kill you. Hedr humanity switch could be turned off and she won't think twice about killing you, if that's the case."

"But-"

"I know she's your friend. But you've got to stay safe. I'd never forgive myself if anything ever happened to you" Damon was becoming stern now, not noticing that he had leaned in closer as he said this.

"I was going to say that the deeds to the house is in both of our names, meaning the house is hers too. Wouldn't she be able to get in then?"

"Damn it!" Damon shouted, standing up and going over to the fire. That was just his luck! Always coming up with a plan only for it to be dragged down like this! It always happened! He needed a new place for her and quick. She couldn't stay at the boarding house because vampires could enter, she couldn't go to Elena's because Katherine had been invited into that house and he really didn't want to take his chances on that one. He could always ask a Council member? The only one that would say yes would be Ryan, and he didn't want Ryan getting his paws on her. Maybe Elena's friends would have room. Caroline's mother was on the Council, and Bonnie was a watch that could fight against vampires. He'd have to look into that with Elena, immediately.

Turning around, Cliona could see that he had finally calmed down as he looked at her, "You can stay here tonight but tomorrow I'm getting you somewhere safe. I meant what I said, I don't want anything bad to happen to you"

"I believe you."

Silence filled the room, both people lost in their own thoughts, unable to think of what to say, unable to even speak for that matter.

It wasn't fair on Cliona. She had come here wanting to start a new life and all that had happened was her being kicked out of her own house, witchcraft rumors, missing friends, vampire friends, vampire guys she liked, and now she was being run out of her house again. Life just sucked sometimes.

Damon had been thinking about moving Cliona back and forth between Caroline, who could fend off Cordelia and most likely had vervaine, and Bonnie, who could probably cast a protection spell and give a vampire a seizure or something.

"This blows. I just wanted to open a shop and have a quiet life."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into all of this"

"It's not your fault. I chose to move here. It's my fault."

"You shouldn't blame yourself"

"I didn't even want to come to the States. Let's just blame Cordelia."

"Okay, let's blame Cordelia"

"And with that blame game finally over, I'm tired and I'd really like to go to sleep. It's a pretty strenuous day when you get knocked out and almost killed by your best friend. We can sort everything out in the morning. I'll still have to manage the shop in the mo-...huh"

"What?"

"Cordelia hasn't been doing the day shift because , I assume, she's a vampire."

"Yeah?"

"Then explain you're walking around in the day then?"

"Magic ring"

Cliona rolled her eyes, "Of course. Vampire are real so magic must be too. I really just need to take this stuff as it comes and not be so surprised. But seriously, I'm going to bed. I'm wrecked after a long day full of supernatural stuff" she said as she stood up.

"I know the feeling. It doesn't get any better than this" Damon replied sarcastically.

"Goodnight Damon." Cliona said, before walking over and giving his a light kiss on the cheek, shocking the vampire. "Thank you for saving my tonight"

"My pleasure, m'lady" he replied, giving her his smug half grin.

With that, Cliona turned around and headed up the stairs, still remembering the house like the back of her hand as she took the familiar route the the bedroom she had occupied during Jean's stay in her house. Well could leave, Cordelia could disappear into the city again and eat people, and everyone else could just leave her alone, because even though the idea of vampires still scared her, she knew that Damon would always want to keep her safe, and that she still loved him really. Getting to stay in his house was just a bonus.

For such a horrible week, it had finally ended on a good note, finally proving to Cliona that every cloud has a silver lining.

**Dun dun duunnn. And there you have it! She's a vampire, Elena's a small character, Damon and Cliona still like each other and Katherine has yet to appear again. In fairness, I'd brace myself for a tough week if I knew I'd get Damon Salvatore out of it.**

**Until next time!**

**Skitz ;)**

**By the way, I can be found on Facebook, (link on my profile) and Tumblr, at 'princessofinsanity'.A**


	10. Learning About The Strangers

**I'm sorry! I knew that it has been five months but don't feel abandoned. This story is always on my mind and I've always known its direction and had a plan written out for myself. My college exams start tomorrow and I have been so eager to upload that my proofreading has really been half arsed (again sorry)**

**Enjoy what I've done though!**

"It makes sense in a way"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she'd been wearing scarves a lot."

"He must've been feeding from her for a while before he turned her."

"He might not've turned her on purpose" Stefan said, walking into Elena's kitchen and interrupting Elena and Cliona's conversation about Cordelia. Damon didn't want Cliona on her own in the house when he went to talk to Liz, as Katherine was still about and had easy access to the Salvatore Boarding House. Cliona was still under strict watch. She had ended up at Elena's house, as Katherine had lost her invitation to Elena's house and was no longer able to enter.

Cliona didn't mind though, she enjoyed finally being able to talk to a human girl about all of the craziness in the town. She felt sorry that Elena had to deal with it all on her own at first, before her other friends were either revealed as witches or were turned themselves.

She actually saw quite a bit of Cordelia in Caroline; blonde, outgoing, confident, new vampire.

That was still odd her her. The word seemed foreign on her tongue and was being passed around so easily. The only time she had ever been in a setting where she passed it around naturally was when she was discussing the movie she had gone to see.

It was actually as if Caroline and Cordelia were on a team of their own. The Blonde Sassy Vampire Team, while Elena and Cliona were on the other side, on the Brunette Quiet Human Team.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"If he had been feeding from her, he could have taken it too far or perhaps he had wanted to hide the evidence and used his blood to heal her-"

"But she had an accident" Elena finished for him, following his thought process.

"Exactly"

"So you think she didn't have a choice? She was turned against her will?" Cliona asked.

"I do" Stefan replied.

"It makes sense, when I was with her she was talking about how he annoyed her and she had some sort of falling out with him, so maybe that's what she meant"

"Either way she's new and won't know how to handle herself. That's obvious since what happened with you at the Grill"

"So we've both agreed that you aren't to be alone. I'm going to go with you to the store today and keep you company. You won't be alone at all."

Cliona didn't bother trying to protest, she knew why they were doing what they were doing and she didn't want to be attacked or to be caught up in an argument either, so instead she asked, "What about you and Damon?"

Stefan exhaled before looking her in the eye, "Damon has to go to a meeting, and I'm staying at the Boarding House, in case something happens."

Cliona wanted to ask more, she wanted to know about Damon's meeting and why he couldn't be with her. She had admitted to herself that she had feelings for him, and it angered her that they couldn't spend more time together because Cordelia was out there, and the guy that turned her could turn up looking for Cordelia. If that happened, he could easily pick up Cordelia's scent on Cliona and end up attacking her. If he was the type to keep Cordelia as a play toy, he was definitely capable of killing anyone without batting an eye.

She wished that she could just go back to the Boarding House and talk to Damon about unimportant things and curl up to him by the fire. It wasn't fair. She didn't ask for it. As if running a business and being left to it on her own wasn't bad enough. Things between her and Damon had just begun to take off, and now there was not just one, but two (or three including Katherine) dangerous vampires that were likely to kill not just her, but any other human in town. No one usually planned or thought that any of this would happen, when moving to a new town in the hopes of starting a new life. What a lovely thing to have happen.

000

Elena and Cliona had left to go to the shop an hour ago, leaving Stefan to return to the Boarding House and wait for information from Damon. Stefan looked around the forest on the way home, in the hopes of picking up a scent of some sort, but was unable to find anything. He didn't like not doing anything, but then again, neither did Damon. Damon was liable to get frustrated over this and lash out, so it was up to Stefan to keep the peace, which was why Damon was hoping for information by going to a Council meeting, and Stefan was currently pacing around the living room of the Boarding House.

Stefan wished that this was some scenario that demanded them to read, in other to gain information, but it wasn't. They couldn't do anything until something else happened. They had to wait everything out.

It was in that moment that the door was flung open and a familiar brunette in heels strided in.

"Give me vervain and I'm gone. I'm tired of waiting. I need it. Everywhere else is short and it can't be picked freely in Mystic Falls because of your ,oh so precious, Council. I know you have it, give it to me"

"Hello to you too, Katherine"

Well at least Katherine's appearance was something to keep his mind off of things.

"Give it to me, now"

"Getting a little impatient, aren't we?"

Katherine looked about ready to stomp her foot in patience and stick out her tongue. She was clad in her usual heeled boots, black skinny jeans, leather jacket and expensive looking purple top, which had been accessorised with bangles and a simple gold chain. She always _had_ been about dressing to impress and intimidate others. Her arms were crossed and there was a crease between her eyebrows. There was more than just impatience in her eyes, there was also fear.

"And why should I give you vervaine?"

"Because I need it?"

"Why?"

"Because I do"

"Why? Who's after you"

"Because I need it for something I'm working on"

"You? Working on something? Who are you trying to annoy now?"

Katherine pulled a sarcastic smile before dropping it and looking at Stefan with an annoyed expression. She wanted something and he was refusing her. Stupid Stefan and his perfect ways, always trying to be careful, always trying to please everyone, except me.

"I don't trust you with vervaine"

"If you don't give it to me, I'll kill someone"

"Someone else you mean? How many more bodies would you be dumping in the forest for attention?" Stefan said, believing that the vampire with Cordelia had been a coincidence and that Katherine was to be held liable for the recent deaths in Mystic Falls.

"For the last time that wasn't me! You Salvatores just love to point fingers and lay blame on everyone. For the last time, it wasn't me!"

"No Katherine. The answer is no"

"I'd love to meet this guy going around and killing people. I'd buy him a drink to say thanks for giving you so much to worry about, right before I kill him for stopping me from getting what I want...You shouldn't even care about those dead people. They're food!"

"How do I know you won't use it on us?"

"Would I really be that stupid? What if I was desperate for a refill?"

"You're talking as if I've decided to give it to you"

"Well then hurry up and do it"

"I don't trust you"

"No one trusts me"

"And there's a reason for that"

000

There had been a blonde girl that had been obviously in it for the cash so she could spend it on clothes, gum and night outs with friends. It had been obvious that she would have been an unsociable lay about, and wouldn't have understood any of the band merchandise on sale in the shop. In fact, Cliona had remembered her as one of the girls that hadn't understood the joke when they had seen the rubber ducks displayed upon the shelf.

Then there had been the guy with paranoid eyes that could never keep them trained on the one thing. He looked ready to jump up and snap at someones at any second. He would have scared people in the shop, and even though Cliona was all for accepting people, he kind of scared her a little bit. He wasn't someone she would trust with the keys to the shop, or to be alone with when locking up at night.

On and on it had gone. Lucy had applied for a job, but had later called in the day to say that she couldn't make it, some form of religious thing that she had to attend. She promised to come for an interview later on in the week before hanging up. Right before the connection died, Cliona could have sworn that she had heard some chanting in the background but she'd brushed that aside, it didn't concern her and it was Lucy's business.

There had also been a blonde haired man that had turned up. Cliona hadn't read his application form so she had never learned his name, in fact she later wondered he had even admitted an application for in the first place. He had sat outside of the office, waiting for his turn like the others. But when his turn had come, he disappeared. It had probably been due to an emergency phone call or something, but his vanishing had made Cliona uneasy.

After him, it was some woman that was obviously in her forties, looking as if she had just gotten back from Woodstock with a dark purple flowing gypsy skirt and hundred of beads hanging from her neck. In fact, she looked like she should have been a member of Fleetwood Mac. She had had long dyed black hair that was messy and looked unbrushed and had seemed very interested in the herbal part of the job. Cliona had told her that they just sold the herbs and didn't exactly look up their meanings for customers, after the woman had told her and Elena about the properties of sage. At first she seemed shocked, but it was quickly replaced by patience and acceptance. Cliona told her that she would be in touch, and that had been the end of that woman, leaving them to interview the last few people that were left.

"I think that girl with the dreadlocks was eyeing up the merchandise too much on her way in. She's probably just after the discount. This place is cheap enough, I don't know why she'd bother" Elena commented, turning to Cliona as she fiddled with the blue pen in her hand. Poor Elena had just sat there, bored out of her mind. After Cliona had told her that she could talk after the third person, Elena had began to ask a few questions herself and within half an hour she was obviously enjoying herself and putting effort into finding the right person to work for Cliona.

"Yeah, about that. I might be forced to raise prices soon. This place isn't doing as well as I thought it would. We've been building up debt. I was looking at the books last night, trying to catch up with it, but our income is smaller than the expenditure" Cliona replied, looking down, ashamed of herself. She had been carrying the burden of the establishment on her own for months, she had worked hard to open it with Cordelia and everyone had been so happy when they'd first seen it and seen the low prices, it had made people want to return. But if she really raised costs, no one would want to see her, they'd think that she was a money grabber. She could always stop buying guitars, or clothes to sell, but that would still leave her with the ones that she already had, and that still left her with the money she owed to the distributors. The debt was accumulating and there was no denying it.

One of Kyle's friends had applied for a position as a shelf stacker and seemed to really want the job. Hiring one of Kyle's friends wasn't a bad move, after all, if he screwed up he'd be risking Kyle's job too. The kid seemed to be good, his close were a bit scraggy but he didn't smell of beer or smoke and he was polite enough. He would be a smart one, he wouldn't risk Kyle's job like that.

The new kid was needed in the store, it couldn't be denied, especially with all of the paperwork that had been building up, inventory, profit and loss accounts, it had all been ignored lately with all that had been going on in Cliona's life. When Cordelia had returned, Cliona had hoped to return to it, but things hadn't exactly gone to plan afterwards. But if she was going to be dealing with all of the papers, she would need someone to help Kyle during the day. She hated asking him to work extra shifts anyway.

Cliona made a mental note to contact Kyle's friend soon to let him know that she wanted him to have the job, but for now she just wanted to leave for the night. She felt guilty making Elena sit through all of the interviewees. It wasn't how a seventeen year old should be spending their day off from school, but she was glad to have her there all the same.

The girl didn't know how much of a God send she was. Cliona wouldn't have been able to cope if it hadn't been for Elena, and for that she was eternally grateful. I probably would have given up after the first two and gone home sick, Cliona thought to herself, then again, I wouldn't be able to go to my own home because it's in both my and Cordelia's names and she could be there.

Mentally sighing, the business woman put down her pen and looked to Elena with a look of desperation in her voice, "I need a drink".

000

The shrieking of a phone echoed throughout the house, demanding to be answered by someone. As he was the only one present, much to his annoyance, Stefan was forced to answer it. Damon had been informed of a Council meeting an hour earlier. He hadn't been to happy about Katherine's appearance the last time he had left the house with only Stefan to hold the fort. Expecting an update on the vampire attacks, Damon was just about ready to tear out the throats of the Council when he learned that the meeting was just about Carol running for election. Once there, he couldn't leave, forcing him to sit through the meeting, to discuss colours for flyers and public talks.

"Hello?"

"Damon?" the other voice asked. It had seemed calm and collected, not anxiously worried if it were Damon who answered the phone or not. A man's voice definitely, but there was something in it, impatience perhaps?

"He's not here at the moment. You'll have to leave a message, I'm afraid" Stefan didn't recognise the voice of the speaker on the other end of the phone, but it sounded like it belonged to a man, definitely. An American man, judging by the accent.

"Tell him to meet me on the bridge, near the cemetery. Ryan needs to see him"

"Hey, but aren't you meant to be with him at the meeting?"  
>And with that the line went dead.<p>

000

"That was the single most boring thing I've ever had to sit in on"

"I know, but it had to be done. I'm sorry" growned a sincerely apologetic Cliona, as she dumped her bag on the bar and sat on the stool next to Elena, looking forward to a drink and an end to the day she had just had, with all thoughts of job applicants, disappearing men, herb obsessed women and unavailable religious teenage girls, clearing from her mind.

"It's okay. At least it got me out of the house. I think your store is something I'm actually beginning to like" Elena replied with a reassuring smile on her face.

"We met in the shop actually, before we spoke at the Lockwood's"

"I remember, who would of thought back then that we would've ended up here"

"It's mad to think that you'd already been caught in this world, known everything, I mean, it's surreal to think actually. So when you were buying those herbs….."

"It was all for Bonnie. She was working on a spell to repel Katherine."

"Any luck?"

"Apparently it's meant to take a while, so she's still working on it" Elena frowned, scooping up some peanuts and throwing some into her mouth. "I've barely been able to see her, she's become obsessed with it now more than ever since she turned up that night at the Boarding House"

"What will it do to her?"

"I don't know, ward her off I guess. We don't know anything about details. We're all just hoping that Bonnie doesn't tap into any family magic again, it never fairs well."

"How long has she been doing all of this kind of stuff?"

"Since I started seeing Stefan, her Gran let her in on it all, began to teach her, until she died"

"Sounds like they were close"

"In the beginning she didn't believe her Grams whenever she started talking about being a witch, she thought she just drank too much, but towards the end they got really close, she's all Bonnie ever had of her mother's side really, after her mother disappeared"

"That's so sad"

"Trust me, Mystic Falls seems like the perfect happy place, but we've all gone through some form of loss, and we've all got problems"

"Seems like the central place for problems really" Cliona pointed out, I've been here for around 6 months now and I've got vampires after me, lost my best friend, been accused of murder and witchcraft, and some people just hate me in general"

"Sucks"

"Sucks" Cliona repeated, before taking a swig of beer.

"So how have things been going with you and Damon?" Elena asked, changing the conversation topic and putting a few more peanuts into her mouth, before looking over to Cliona.

"We were good, I mean we are, I think. I know I like him, and I know he likes me. I don't want to start throwing lovey dovey words around just yet. We were in a good place before Cordelia turned up, but ever since, he's been out doing whatever it is that he does, and I've been at your house. We haven't had time for ourselves before it's so dangerous"

"I know that feeling" Elena commented, looking down, before taking a sip of her drink, and looking back to Cliona, who continued on as if Elena hadn't said a word.

"I mean. I'm glad she's back. I'm relieved Cordelia is alive, regardless of everything. People thought that I'd killed her and now they know that I didn't. Her mother is finally gone. I don't know she was all I had and if she were to leave now, at least I'd have you and the others, but part of me is angry that she came back and brought all of this trouble with her. But I feel so guilty when I admit that to myself"

"Why?"

"Because I feel as if I've said the equivalent to wanting her dead"

"You can't feel guilty like that. It isn't your fault that this happened to her, you said it yourself, she had a tendency to run off flippantly with all of these random men" Elena tried to reason.

"I know, but what if I'd stopped her that one time. That's all it took. That one time, and I wasn't there. I was with Damon being selfish"

"You weren't. You've always been with her, you're many things, sometimes your lack of confidence can be annoying, sometimes you mumble which is also annoying, but you're not selfish"

"I'm annoying though" Cliona joked.

"Ugh, so annoying, I don't know how you manage" Elena played along. Cliona merely shouldered her in response and the girls laughed.

"Do you think this will all work out?" Cliona asked, turning to look at Elena, hope in her eyes. Elena started back, wishing that that hope would never die. She really did want her new friend to be happy.

"Yeah. This will all fix itself. The boys know what they're doing. Plus, we've got Bonnie and Caroline. And you like Damon and he likes you, so you can have your time together."

"Like the time you've got with Stefan?"

"Trust me, we have to fight to get some time together too. When we first met there were mystery deaths too, except I thought it was him, so you can imagine how that turned out. And then there was the new vampire that ran around and targeted my brother" Elena began to rattle off, not knowing that what she was saying had not only shocked Cliona at first, but was now beginning to frighten her. She didn't want that happening to her and Damon, and the whole concept of new vampires in Mystic Falls seemed to be a common theme within the town. Did that meant that everyone was constantly in danger? Why were the vampires in Mystic Falls exclusively? Or had they been everywhere else she'd lived as she had grown up?

Elena stopped and finally took notice of Cliona's silence. She looked at her silently, before trying to apologize, which Cliona just brushed off.

"It's okay really" came the response, right before the green eyes woman took a big swig of beer.

"No. It's not. No one said these things to me when I started off and I can only imagine what you're feeling. I sometimes forget what it was like at first" Elena pleaded, desperately tried to make an amends.

"Seriously. It's fine"

Their night turned into one of idle chat and two more drinks. For the next few hours, they forgot of their worries and troubles, enjoying themselves and acting normally as if there were no such things as vampires or witches. People came and went into the bar, and it wasn't until around ten o'clock that things began to, unfortunately, return to normal again. The place was really beginning to fill up with young people and tourists taking up all of the chairs they could find. Elena had been accidently pushed in the shoulder by one of the waiters trying to get through and give o order of onion rings to a group men at the other end of the room. He apologised profusely, looking terrifiedly back at her, most likely fearing for his job, before finally heading over to the men with their order.

Elena had given him a little smile and assured him that everything was fine. The noise levels had begin to make it more and more difficult for the two women to talk to each other which annoyed them a bit.

"I'll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom" Elena declared loudly and pointing in the direction of the bathroom, as they stood up getting ready to leave."No problem, I'll wait for you outside" Cliona responded, picking up her handbag and swinging it onto her shoulder, before heading out the door of the Grill and into the cool night.

As Elena walked out of her bathroom stall and went to wash her hands, she kept her head down, as she adjusted her dark purple tank top and straightened herself up. She felt a cool breeze behind her, yet the bathroom door hadn't sounded as if it had been opened. Elena looked up into the mirror in horror seeing her own face looking back at her, twice.

"Hi Elena" purred one of the faces in the mirror.

"Katherine"

Cliona looked down at her watch as she waited outside of the, now empty, car park at the Grill.

"I don't think she's coming"

Cliona turned around sharply and met the eyes of Cordelia. She was wearing her trademark heels and her blonde hair was perfectly curled, contrasting her black skinny jeans and dark blue shirt. Her face was emotionless and gave nothing away

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't this what _friends_ are supposed to do? Visit each other?" she said the word 'friends' in disdain, as if it physically hurt her to use the word when discussing them. Damon was right, Cliona thought to herself as she edged away slowly, she really is a fucking nutjob.

"Usually whenever friends visit they don't attack each other like the last time we met" Cliona responded.

"Aw and I'd tried my best to be so good. But you smelled so good, and after your boyfriend saved you, I realised all of the bad things about you that I'd overlooked because I was so blind. Blinded by 'friendship'" she created the quotation marks with her fingers.

She swayed from side to side, her head cocked to her left as she stepped closer to Cliona, the more that she moved away from her.

"What do you want me to do? Give you a cliche 'love conquers all' speech? Tell you that our years of friendship can overcome everything?" Cliona rebuked.

Cordelia threw her head back and laughed, and that's when it happened, without warning.

Cliona was flung back by the force of Cordelia's punch.

Cliona was flung against the wall, kicked, punched, scratched. It was only when she was thrown against the dumpster and she heard a snap and felt a pain in her chest. A rib had most likely been broken.

Her head burned, and she could feel something warm covering her face. It was too dark to see, but she knew it was blood. If Cordelia hadn't already begun to try to drain Cliona, then that must've meant that there was something else on her mind overpowering it, Cliona remembered what Elena had said about vampires sometimes having one-track minds. It was evident that anger was what Cordelia had her mind focused on, it was anger that was being directed to the brunette on the ground of the parking lot.

"Oh Cliona, perfect Cliona that does all of the work. Cliona, that went to college and did a fancy degree and did well in it. Cliona that's _oh I'm not pretty at all_ when she obviously has great boobs. You're so great aren't you? So perfect! Everyone just loves you! And you can do whatever you want and bend any rule you like. Ryan loves you because you were great to his kid. His kid's girlfriend even likes you! Well you're not as great as you think you are. You're always thinking about your own problems, but never anyone elses. You think you're selfless, but you're the most selfish of them all! And they still love you! I'm the one that raised most of the money to open the shop. You go around saying you do all the work, but I covered most of my shifts at the store,you were just convinced I'd fuck up and followed me anyway. You never gave me the chance! I'm the one that said we were to go to America! If it weren't for me deciding that, you wouldn't have that old vampire guy following you about like a lost puppy. But he doesn't love you. Not really. He's using you"

"Stop, please" Cliona barely mumbled, she was in so much pain and didn't how much longer she could stay conscious.

"At least, my guy likes me. We're not together, but we are nice to each other and we tolerate each other. He knew all about our aging problems, so he turned me. He didn't exactly do it on purpose. But he was kind. He gave me something. He gave me my youth. Your guy says he _loves_ you and he leaves you vulnerable" Cordelia kicked Cliona in the stomach after each word, "and pathetic",another kick "and human", the last kick delivered knocked Cliona out completely.

"Fucking human"

000

"Well well"

Damon turned around to see the person who owned the voice, a voice which wasn't that of Ryan Sterling, but a Ryan all the same, his face giving away nothing as he finally got to lay his eyes on the person who had been terrorising his town and friends.

"Ryan"

"Long time"

"It has been, when was the last time we saw each other…..seventies?"

"I have to admit, it's odd seeing you with short hair and no denim"

"And I have to admit, it annoys me seeing you haven't changed a bit"

"Oh come on, I'm only having fun. I'm an adult. I can do what I want" he teased, his blue eyes showing how mischievous he was truly feeling. "And I must say, the blonde was a lot of fun...She's probably going to be having plenty of fun herself."

"That phone call, it was you."

"I know, I must say. It is quite handy sharing a name with a human sometimes, even if he is annoying. I have to give him credit though, he had one hell of a tasty wife"

"Well, it's nice catching up and all. We should do it again sometimes, trade numbers. But I've got stuff I need to take care of, people to see" Damon said, before turning to leave. Unfortunately Ryan was faster, having and age advantage, and appeared in front of Damon, catching his throat in an iron-like grip. "Afraid I can't have you doing that Damon. After all, Cordelia is having quite a bit of fun herself."

**The next chapter will have more Damon and Cliona I promise! Or at least some form of fight! Also, I haven't gotten a review since around 4 chapters ago, so it would be lovely to get one now, even if it is advice or something you would like to see.**

**Thank you for all the alerts and reviews!**

**p.s, for any Hobbit fans there, I've started one and I'm 3 chapters in but none have been uploaded yet, if you want me to upload them a review would be a nice kick or motivation :)**

**Skitz ;)**


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